A couple of years in the past, we received the graft of a Brahma Kamalam plant and potted it. Also known as the Queen of the Night, it is quite a lot of lotus that blooms solely at evening and wilts earlier than daybreak. Over the years, the plant has grown properly within the balcony. The peculiarity of this flowering plant is that it blooms precisely annually late at evening and by dawn, it is withered. It glows like a firefly, that one sparkles and no extra.

While in bloom, its magnificence is matchless. Milky-white, with petals organized in concentric circles and with a crown-like middle filament, even a single flower stands out at the hours of darkness of the evening, in opposition to its deep-green spiky leaves. The air is redolent with a delicate perfume, nice however by no means overpowering. This 12 months, we had been fortunate to get six flowers abloom in a single evening.

There is extra to the flower than meets the attention. It has left an indelible imprint instructing us helpful classes for all times.

The flower has no expectations. It does not take care of a passing look of approval. It blooms that one evening as a result of it should. The petals unfold quietly. Ironically, we pose for a photograph with the flower and put up it on social media for the world to see. At a time when exhibitionism is a lifestyle, the flower maintains its stately silence. As the bard says, “To thine own self be true” and the flower lives as much as this adage.

As they are saying, “What was born in the night, to perish in the night”. In the few hours it has, the flower is in full splendor and captivates us. It does not matter how lengthy the innings, a cameo innings is nice sufficient, however let or not it’s the very best one. Yesterday is a canceled cheque, tomorrow a promissory notice, however right this moment is prepared money. We resolve to make right this moment rely, as if it’s the solely day accessible to us.

The flower teaches us to be the very best model of ourselves. The flower merely “is” and thru its very existence, it provides happiness to every one. So too, it does not matter, whether or not we “do” issues mighty and far-ranging. It is sufficient to merely “be” and be the very best we will. As the poet says, “If you cannot be a sun, be a star. It is not by size that you win or you fail, be the best of whatever you are.”

Sometimes, we come to the balcony to seek out we missed the epochal occasion, the flower had bloomed the earlier evening, and we failed to note it. We purse our lips in regret and remorse. How may we be so callous, caught up in each day chores, to the extent {that a} single second couldn’t be spared? Even in its withered state, the flower smiles again. It has made its level, so full is its self-effacement that it’s prepared to reside and perish unwept, dishonored, and unsung.

As poet Kabir says, “Jab hum paida huey jag hanse hum roye (When I used to be born, the world laughed whereas I cried), Aisi karni kar chalo, hum hanse jag roye (Let my life be such that once I depart the stage, I chortle, whereas the world cries).

Life’s best classes are typically taught by a easy flower.

shankar.ccpp@gmail.com

The author is a Bangalore-based freelance contributor