MYSTERIOUS NIMBOLI
LT COL NOEL ELLIS
12/VII/2024
Neem, the state tree of Rajasthan is one of my favourites. Its medicinal, anti fungal and bacterial properties are well known. Besides, its dense shade reduces the ambient temperature by many degrees even on the hottest and sunniest day.
Sun City used to have rows of these trees lined along roads for ‘Chaya to the Panthi’. The traditional Panthi is no more foot slogging. He moves on motorcycles and has even shunned the ‘Ship of the Desert’. Roads have broadened for which these grand old trees had to be felled.
That little water bowl for the birds and stray animals under these trees have also vanished. Birds used to flock in neem trees creating ruckus have all gone silent and moved away or disappeared. The gup- shup sessions of ‘safa bearing’ old men sitting under those trees are now busy on their mobiles. Things have changed.
The ‘matkas’ of water for ‘thirsty humans’ have been replaced by water campers under plastic sheets. Goats no more stand on their hind legs to eat nimble sprouted neem leaves. Shepherds with huge herds of goats and sheep are rarely visible now.
Cattle love to cleanse their systems by eating the fruit of this tree called ‘Nimboli’. Even birds enjoy eating the bitter sweet goo sticking around the neem seed. Neem now is grown in nurseries, sold at a price for people to have a photo op for social media. Changing times.
We are lucky to be staying in a colony where this tree is still surviving.
These days, the fruiting of neem trees is at its peak. Ripe Nimbolis are hanging in bunches. At places one can find the space under the tree pock marked with a yellow spread of fallen neem fruit.
It was no surprise to find one Nimboli on our roof boundary wall. It could not be a coincidence that the outer cover of a fresh ripe Nimboli was lying at the same place on consecutive days. At times, one did find a bird dropping or two. They visit the roof to sip water from the water lily tubs.
I would curl my pointer finger to hold it with my thumb like one does for hitting the striker in carrom and chuck that nimboli as far as I could. Who was bringing it there was a mystery?
One has to break the routine to find out. At day break, one is generally on the ground floor engrossed in the garden activities, feeding the fish and birds. The decision to go upstairs early in the morning helped me solve the mystery.
I sat down on a charpoy which is permanently placed on the roof after doing the regular chores at the roof top garden and was peering into the settings of the camera. The light was still not ideal to capture photos and the water lily buds were yet to open. They wait for full sunlight to deploy.
Just then a bulbul landed on the boundary wall, exactly at ‘eye level’ carrying a ripe Nimboli in her beak. She was not expecting me there and didn’t notice me either. I froze to watch the proceedings.
She hit that fruit on the wall like they hit insects in their beaks to kill them. Why was she banging it on a hard surface intrigued me? A couple of hits on both sides and she poked her beak in the centre of the fruit slitting the outer skin with ease. That is when I realised, that like we loosen a mango till its contents inside become liquidy, this bird was using force to do the same.
Out came the seed coated with a white gooey substance which the bird rolled in her mouth and dropped it on the side. Then she poked her beak inside the shell of the Nimboli and sucked whatever she could.
That is when she realised that there were two eyes staring at her. She left the outer Nimboli cover on the wall and took off with the neem seed in her mouth. As she flew, the seed was released and fell like an aircraft dropping a bomb on the target. Dispersion of the seed had been done.
The outer cover was stuck to the wall. The liquid inside was something like glue. Like a striker being struck, I gave it a hit. Off the cover went flying too.
Will the Bulbul return to eat Nimboli at the same place again? I wonder!!!!!!
JAI HIND
© ® NOEL ELLIS
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