At a dinner party the other day, a friend asked me ‘how are the peacocks and peahens doing?’ The question served as a gentle reminder about the fact that I had not written about the beautiful residents of our house in New Delhi in a while!

The peahen that has captured our attention these days is the one sitting on her eggs for the last twenty odd days under the ‘saptparni’ (Alstonia Scholaris) tree. She is a big peahen, with an emerald green neck and has been sitting in the same position since. When I walk in the garden in the morning, taking a peek at her is an essential part of it. She is wide awake, looking around, never budging from her position.

In April and early May we had been watching hordes of peahens descend on the house. They would potter around, peeking under bushes, circling the ‘saptparni’, and the bush just outside the bedroom window. It was clear they were identifying places that would be good to hatch. The peahens sit on eggs twice year. Around this time, and again towards late autumn.

Much like eager grandparents, we were keen that one of them finds some corner or bush good enough! We were in Paris on holiday, when I got a message from our housekeeper with a photo of the peahen roosting under the tree. It made us inordinately happy. On return, having a peak at her was our first priority. There she was – big and beautiful, alert and awake, awaiting the hatching!

Since we have shifted to this house nearly two years ago, chicks have been born thrice in our garden. However, in line with the law of the jungle not a single one has survived so far. Despite efforts to ward off crows, eagles, cats and trying to tend to hurt and sick young ones – none made it to adulthood. The experience is painful, despite all the rationale and knowledge that one is equipped with – teaching us very clearly the primacy of emotions in the equation of life.

So, once again we are waiting with bated breath. But so are others. Already the saptparni has become a vantage point for crows and eagles. They perch on its high branches and seem to wait for the chicks to hatch. The housekeeper tries to shoo them away persistently, but they circle and come right back. I wonder how the peahen must be feeling, being watched so insistently by predators. But she sits there unfazed and undisturbed. The law of the jungle plays out even in this urban jungle – amongst us and the animals around us!

However, our broody peahen is not left alone at night. A full grown peacock, who we think is one of the older residents of the tree, comes and sleeps above her in the branches every night. In the mornings he flies off to other destinations, but is back every evening. Is he keeping a watch on her? Is this the community rallying around her? No one can tell, but the expectant peahen is never alone during the nights.

We have dubbed the saptparni our ‘maternity clinic’. It is well established, as pea hens sit on eggs under it every season. They never choose any other part of the garden to sit on their eggs, although they recce the area extensively before deciding! As per our counting another week and her chicks should emerge. We are all waiting with her.

The mornings after rains at night, and it has been raining quite a bit in New Delhi this May, peacocks throng the terrace to dry their long plumes. It is a sight to behold as they shimmer their plumes, spread them open first on one side, then another, and then the whole grand spectacle of the peacocks mesmerizing open plumage can be seen.

While this drama plays out, she sits there – drenched, alert, awake and unmoving. The patience, dedication and love of a mother – it is unparalleled and unique.

Photos courtesy Dnyaneshwar Mulay (twitter @navmirmiti)