Ram, who was bedridden and counting his last breaths was taken in an ambulance to his eco-park at Chengalpattu in the onset of dawn. He was laid beneath his Neem tree. The spectrum of sun rays piercing through the leaves of the tree looked like the heaven calling him spreading its hands and the branches were waving saying goodbye.
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Ram's memories went back to the days he spent with his father -
When Ram asked his father whether this tree was really needed while shifting their house from Madurai, the way his father answered got engraved in his mind and soul -
"Ram! Can you live without your lungs? Trees are the lungs of the earth, serving mankind round the clock purifying air to sustain ecological balance."
As maintaining the tree in a rented house is difficult, his father replanted it in a vacant plot near the house. Worried about the future of the tree, he purchased the plot though he couldn't afford it and converted it into a garden.
When Ram was around 40, his parents passed away leaving the garden - the only asset for Ram. He would talk, laugh, hug, kiss, cry, share his sorrow/happiness with the tree. Least bothered about the mocking by others, he started an awareness campaign propagating the significance of afforestation but all in vain. He was very much concerned about the future generation but no one heeded his words including his son. So he thought of spreading the same message of his father to this world and placed a placard under the tree saying -
"LUNGS FOR FREE. – Yes. You can get the lungs of the earth free of cost by planting the seeds stored in this box. Please save me to save your children and grandchildren."
He planted many medicinal plants/trees with placards explaining its name and uses. The place attracted the students and the general public and slowly became a tourist attraction. Few years after, the entire city turned lush and green. Ecopark with Neem tree served as the living memorial explaining the efforts taken by his father to save our environment.
Ram jolted back to the present world when a drop of mist fell on his face from the leaves of the Neem tree. He called his granddaughter and handed a tree sapling and breathed his last under the tree.
----------------OMITTED PARA - to restrict to 350 words--------------
Nowadays I find it difficult to hug you. You have grown too big. I haven't seen heaven but the serenity & tranquility that I am experiencing while relaxing beneath you in the onset of dawn with the birds chirping sound and the cold breeze air makes me feel like this is the real heaven. The entire surrounding is engulfed in music. you are the haven in the midst of this busy world.---------------------------------
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