Little seeds grow into a friendship

The scent of wooden boxes all around her overwhelmed her as she anxiously looked for the box tagged M0312 in the shed. It was late at night and the ticking of her watch made her heart race faster as she could not stop reminiscing the memory associated with M0312. It was among the first 3 boxes of her project 'Plantable Wedding Invites'. Five years ago, Neelam had started her project of Plantable Wedding Invites' and had since been designing wedding cards printed on seed papers which upon planting grows into a plant or tree!

Yuhoo! She squealed excitedly as she spotted M0312 in the farthest corner. She grabbed the box, closed the shed and went into her bedroom. She jumped on her bed, settled the box on her lap, brushed the dust off it and fixated at the M0312 design as she could not help but go down memory lane. It was a summer reception at the Chateau de Labourdonnais and the bride had designed and numbered 3 plantable wedding invites. The invites included a rose plant, a sunflower plant and a mango tree! The guests with the identified number in their normal invite would have to write the name and email address of someone dear to whom they would gift the tree and the latter would be notified upon the first harvest of its tree! Basically you could be lucky if your invite number matches the plantable invite number!

And for the Mango tree, the number 8 came out and the first harvest had finally happened! She felt butterflies in her tummy as she opened the box and to her utter surprise she found not one but five wedding invites and they all had the number 8! She started laughing as she realised that five wedding invites had been wrongly numbered with the number 8! This tree would not belong to one but five persons!

-To Farheen from mom

- To Ramita from Jerome

 -To Krishni from dad

-To Pratiksha from Nikhil

-To Priya from brother Mavish

She seized her laptop from her bedside table and drafted a mail to each of them inviting them to the harvest of their mango tree! She could not help but wonder what the magical universe was brewing as she slowly drifted to sleep.

Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting! The sound of notifications sounded as the five women got the mail.

Ramita was on her daily run as her smartwatch lit up. She dropped her running pace and eventually halted. She curiously turned her wrist and checked the email! She laughed as the subject read:  ‘Harvest Time’ from a plant a seed, grow a tree organisation.

It was the pious month of Ramadan. The sound of Azaan had just sounded and Farheen just finished breakfast for Sehri; the morning ritual of eating before fasting for Ramadan and was out admiring the morning unfolding. She grabbed her phone and decided to capture the morning sun. As she focus on her camera phone, a notification slided down her phone. She read it aloud; ‘Harvest Time’ and joked to herself! When did I become a farmer?

Krishni was binge watching Lucifer on her home cinema when her television show stopped and the mail popped into her screen. She felt irritated as she thought that it was her work mail. She stared in amazement as she read the title and laughed out naughtily: ‘It’s Lucifer that I have to harvest right now’

Pratiksha was busy uploading the pictures of her latest hand-made crochets socks on her Instagram page when the incoming mail slided down her screen. She was intrigued and wondered out loud: ‘Hmm I have been craving some mangoes!’

Priya snuggled in her outdoor swing chair and intently read her new favourite mystery novel on Kindle as she got distracted by the mail on her Ipad which read ‘Harvest Time’. ‘Woo another mystery to unravel’ she joked quietly.

They had all gotten the same email which read as follows:

Dear harvester!

It is finally time to meet your new friend;

Considered as one of the tallest,

One could say he is also the proudest!

Summer is when he gets the leafiest,

Where the birds often become the naughtiest!

Bearing the ‘King of Fruits’

Here comes your Mango Tree for your harvest pursuit!

Address : Chateau de Labourdonnais plantable Garden

Day : Today

Time : 5pm.

Tree number: M0312

Best Regards

Plant a seed, grow a tree organisation!

Juggling a mix of emotions, they all rsvp’s and accepted the invite.

Neelam beamed with excitement as she received the RSPVs. She spent the whole afternoon talking to the mango tree about the upcoming guests. She spread the cosiest nap around the tree and some cushions. She placed a basket of freshly picked mangoes from the tree and the box M0312 containing the chits.

Soon, evening started drawing close and it rang four o’clock! All the five women were already on their way to the Chateau. Ramita and Krishni reached almost at the same time. They had parked their car opposite each other and as they got off, they wondered which tree the other had come to visit! They nodded politely at each other and both took their picnic baskets out of the car. Ramita got her earphones on and set off. Close behind, Krishni followed.

The path unfolded with long alleys of all colours of roses gushing, daffodils dancing and sunflowers tanning under the evening sun. The scent of the flowers attracted butterflies and they fluttered all around the garden. Red bright strawberries could also be spotted as if they had their cheeks red from shyness. The garden felt magical as they moved further and they kept discovering all types of flowers, trees, and fruits. They all had 4 digit numbered plates next to them just as they had received for their Mango Tree.

After having walked for around 0.25km, Ramita spotted a huge mango tree and she felt a surge of joy fill her heart as she removed her earphones and stood still. She almost got startled as she suddenly heard footsteps behind her! She turned around and saw Krishni who hastily apologise for startling Ramita! Ramita chuckled and asked ‘Are you looking for your tree too?’ to which Krishni replied coyly yes and you are standing right in front of it!

 ‘M0312’; they both exclaimed and started laughing at this co-incidence! Right at the moment, a head peeped behind the tree! ‘We are actually three!’

 It was Pratiksha! She was first to arrive and was enjoying some crocheting under the shades of M0312.

They all stared at the tree in sheer bewilderment as they eventually hugged and introduced themselves to each other. They settled under the shade of the tree and noisily narrated how they had received the mail. They could not stop gushing over this wonderful incident when suddenly the thumping of feet caught their attention and they fell silent.

They stared at the lane ahead as Priya and Farheen raced joyfully towards them! Ramita, Krishni and Pratiksha already knew in their heart that they were not the only three to own the tree! They were five!

Farheen and Priya had bumped into each other at the nearby bookstore. They had both gone to buy a new book to read under their new tree. While queuing up at the counter, a simple hello had led to a whole conversation where they has discovered they both were going to meet the same tree!

The bunch of five women all sat under the mango tree as they admired the beauty of this evening. They chirped noisily, took pictures, read the chits and felt grateful for their family and friends who had conspired with the universe to bring them together! At exactly 6pm, they all kept quiet as Farheen prayed and broke her fast. She silently thanked god for this new found bond and prayed it would last forever! Farheen and Priya exchanged their books to each other and lazed under the setting sun. Ramita and Krishni passed on hors d’oeuvres to all of them from their picnic baskets and the clinking of champagne and juice glasses resonated of happiness. Pratiksha hummed happily as she crocheted a handkerchief with all their names on. From that day on, they have become best friends and are inseparable!

Almost every Sunday they enjoy a little picnic under their tree and today marks fifteen years of their friendship.

It all started with a seed, grew into a tree and blossomed into the best of friendship…