By Shahnaz Husain
Just when we are trying to brace ourselves for the hot Indian summer, nature reminds us that beauty can exist even in the harshest environs with the golden Amaltash flowers blossoming all over Delhi. There is this huge Amaltash tree overlooking my bedroom window. It blossoms once every year, with the most beautiful yellow flowers. They look like exquisite gold chandeliers. Whenever I open the window, I see this spectacular sight of the entire tree aflame with the most vibrant yellow flowers, bowing down, as if to pay homage to nature. The flowers actually blend beautifully with the few light green leaves of the tree. The splash of yellow actually spreads so much cheer on a hot summer day. I feel these golden flowers are a symbol of happiness.
One may think that the Amaltash has beauty of form and no fragrance. But that is not so! Early in the morning the air is filled with its delicate and subtle fragrance. When the sunlight falls on the blossoms, they glisten like gold. Their beauty is even more magical and sublime at night. Once I saw the Amaltash tree, bathed in moonlight, looks almost ethereal. I wanted to capture the moment forever, by having dinner with my husband in the moonlight, with the soothing music of ghazals playing in the background. But the most precious commodity is the one thing of which there is a tremendous shortage in my life… and that is Time. My time is not my own. One is bound by the shackles of success, which must be honoured, because the public in their extreme love and trust have put you on a pedestal and you dare not fall.
When I happened to notice the flowers again, I realized that a whole year had passed by, because it flowers only once a year. Perhaps, one evening, next May, I will do just that enjoy dinner with my husband amidst the spectacular sight of those flowers, which are within my reach – so close that I can actually touch them! Perhaps, next May my dream will come true!
