Wish I had a Time-Turner

Saturday Morning. Unusually sultry. Adrenaline rush to explore the world outside the cozy abode of graduated sizes of twigs and straw, designed impeccably to fit together. Perhaps, after glancing a furtive look into my room through the crevasse in the wall, she entered. She was mottled in beautiful patches of rich black, flaring brown and dull grey. She radiated beauty. Was completely enthralled and looked on. Her fluttering of tiny wings, her soft voice perhaps calling out to some of her siblings still snuggled up, her amazement at my weird looking 'nest', her concentric circles around my room, quick darting eyes reflecting the morning rays held me transfixed.

Before I realised, she knocked the wind out of me. She hoped frantically for the fact to change, for her mother's warm bosom to lie on, for her siblings' fight with her for grains, finally for the agony to stop. She lay there, bloody, still beautiful and tranquil, yet motionless. All I could do was helplessly watch on, hoping she would rest in peace soon. Put her to rest in our garden, under the rose shrubs and whispered a silent prayer.

'IF ONLY', powerful words that express sheer hopelessness, despair and yearning.

If only she had not adventured out of her nest...
If only she had not come too close...
If only I had been in some other room...
If only there was a power failure...
If only had I noticed the fan switched on...
If only I could turn back time...
If only...



Here I stand, inundated completely in guilt and everlasting sorrow, for having orphaned a happy family by unintentionally killing a harmless sparrow, belonging to an already endangered species.