Sounds & sights of life…

From my balcony, I can see an old man, wearing a blue t-shirt, walking up and down the lane right next to the gates that surround my apartment. He seems to be taking a break every five minutes to take a sip of water because of how hot it is. I can hear car tires rubbing against the rocks and pebbles on the unfinished road. In the lane where the old man is walking, a young man lying on the windshield of a car, perhaps scrolling through social media on his phone. As usual, the birds are singing their melodious songs and crows call out to the skies.

Pigeons fly from tree to tree, building to building, finding whatever protection they can from the unforgivable sun. There are few trees that cover my view of the rest of the apartment in front of me. On these trees, if I look closely, I can spot some green parrots that can be seen sitting on the branches.

The scent of soil is very distinct as there are many beautiful plants on my balcony where I sit. When I look down from my balcony, I can see and hear kids running after a ball and having fun. They seem to be playing football using the two ends of the lane as the outlines, while the front and back are divided by rocks as goals. There’s a dog barking from behind where I cannot see and a car getting unlocked in the lane where the old man walks. The car is a blue Honda City looking to go onto the main road, but where to?

I feel very relaxed that this is what modern life has come to be. We are so distracted by school, office and work that we fail to appreciate subtle beauties in life, like birds, chirping, the wind blowing and children playing.

Contributor: Aarush Mohan

About our Writing Program Student
A teenager with a love for football and gaming, Aarush Mohan is a budding pianist and also plays the violin. He is currently teaching piano to an 8-year-old in his neighbourhood. This 8th Grader from Greenwood High International School, Bangalore has lived in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan.