Achatina Fulica – Giant African Land Snail

It had been raining for the entire week. One fine morning when the sky looked clear, I stepped out for a morning stroll. The pathways, trees, gardens and grass were all still damp from the previous day’s downpour, but there was a refreshing feeling to it.

Flying Jewels of Garbhanga Forest

The greens looked a shade lighter under the blanket of the early winter fog that morning. A dirt-track gently meandered into the forest. Sunlight was yet to slice through the forest canopy. The tranquil silence was occasionally broken by the chirps and sounds of songbirds, hidden away from sight. The forest looked soothing with all the greens and browns, sprinkled with vibrantly coloured, tiny wildflowers.

Visited by a Coffee Bee Hawk Moth

It was a quiet afternoon, in the initial period of lockdown (of the Covid-19 situation). The unusual quietness must be baffling the other living creatures, we often joked (though I felt sometimes it could actually be so). I started spending more time in the balcony and even set up a cozy reading/working space there.