Contributions:
Kashmira Pardeshi
Suparna Sethi
Wrik Basu
Illustrations:
Avni Jain
Bindu Nair
Deepali Singh
No part of the publication can be reproduced without due permission from the editor.
Please mail your suggestions and feedback to:
Namrata Mehra
5th Floor, Godrej One, Pirojshanagar, Vikhroli East, Mumbai 400079 nmehra@godrejproperties.com
Our journey at The Trees these last six years has been rooted in narratives and storytelling based on authentic experiences. This volume is a short compilation of stories, engagements, conversations and events for our youngest and most important stakeholders – children that visited us at The Imagine Studio.
We asked them to imagine their lives in TheTrees – their pets, the trees they would adopt and the life they would lead. We have also included stories about the many people that made this development possible.
Namrata Mehra EditorSIA AT THE TREES
“Wow! What a beautiful view!"
WE MADE OUR OWN HOUSE
MY PAPA MADE THE TREES
TREES OF VIKHROLI
“There should be a word in the dictionary for things that you hated in your childhood that you have come to love as an adult. Perhaps such a word exists and I don’t know it yet? My relationship with Neem has been like that. Today, I found a dried Neem leaf in my grandmother’s recipe book and it brought back a flood of memories, things that annoyed me as a child but today, I remember those rituals fondly.”
“It reminded me of summer rituals involving neem leavesboiled neem leaf paste for the prickly heat on my back; my mother using dried neem leaves in the rice jars in the kitchens to prevent bug infestations; my grandmother boiling them and drinking the bitter liquid for her ‘good health’. I had a sip of her drink once, it was so bitter, I spat it out. I hated Neem as a child- like all the things forced on you in childhood under the guise of it being ‘healthy.’”
“My mother used to say breathing in the air of the Neem tree was very good for us. We had one outside our balcony in our childhood home. After dinner, she would make me and my sister sit in the balcony and read to us, with the large neem tree swaying gently outside. To this day, the smell of Neem leaves reminds me of those evenings with my mother and sister. It was the only Neem ritual that I liked. Today, when I live so far away from family, Neem trees remind me of childhood memories. It reminds me that I am home after all.”
“Your first encounter with the Couroupita Guianensis is something that will stay etched in your memory forever. The sheer beauty and fragrance of its flower, the gigantic size of the tree and its fruit will leave you mesmerized. The second I laid my eyes on this tree, I knew it needed to be inked on paper. This trio of illustrations is my ode to Mother Nature and her magnificent works of art.”
“Aptly known as the cannon ball tree with snake-like leafless flowering and fruiting branches, you will usually find it marked with a ‘Caution’ sign. Its large, distinctive cannon ball-esque fruits are hard to miss; make sure you walk around with a helmet, you never know if the cannonballs will come flying at you.”
“When Emerson wrote that the earth laughs in flowers, I woudn’t be surprised if he meant the cannonball flower. It’s beauty lies not only in its bright hues and details, but also how unique and unusual it is…here’s how it looks to me.”
I took Rahul for a walk today and he was fascinated by the Jackfruit tree. We stopped beneath it because he wanted to inspect the enormous hanging fruits. I explained how his favourite halwa – the chakka varrathi- is made from the Jackfruit. It is a recipe that my brother and I learnt from our mother when we were leaving home for college because we loved it so much. At the time, we insisted that she teach us how to make it.
Story and illustrations by Bindu Nair
Jackfruit tree
Rahul wanted to see what the fruit looked like inside, so we took a closer look at one that had fallen on the ground and split open. I explained to him that a typical Jackfruit tree could bear anywhere between 100 to 200 fruits in a year. This fascinated him so much that he refused to leave until we were done counting the number of Jackfruits on the tree in front of us. There were a total of 10, a number that I suspect disappointed him for some reason. I think he expected to count more. I reassured him that ‘one’ Jackfruit was all we needed to make his favourite dish.
After he was done inspecting the fallen Jackfruit, we picked it up and carried it back home. This time, I promised to let him be my kitchen assistant as I prepared his favourite sweet. Just like me and my brother had done, countless times before as kids in our mother’s kitchen.
Indian devil tree
AlstoniaScholaris
“Alstonia Scholaris is an evergreen tropical tree in the family Apocynaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent, Malay Peninsula, and Australasia. According to Konkani folklore, it has been accused of many a darker deeds, hence bringing upon the tree the disreputable name of Indian Devil Tree . So much so that in the Western Ghats, tribal people are reluctant to sit or pass under this tree, for the fear of the devil. Have you had an encounter with this tree?”
Story and illustrations by Deepali Singh
“Alstonia Scholaris is what gives Delhi its characteristic (devilish) smell that announces the beginning of winter. Like its leaves, its greenish-white conical flowers form beautiful clusters that add to its beauty. The large branches provide favourable nesting site for wild bees; when flowering, it is surrounded by bees and butterflies. Not sure if they participate in scheming up new tricks with the devil.”
“The Indian Devil Tree is also known as Saptaparni; Sanksrit for ‘seven-leaved’; this tree’s leaves grow seven or eight to a sprig,whirled like a group of witches standing in a circle around their divinity. The leaves are shiny and dark green in colour,stalks about 1-2cm long and the tip is often rounded or shortly pointed. Wonder what the devil are they planning together?”
PETS OF VIKHROLI
Fluffy TheRabbit
My rabbit Fluffy is so soft & furry and he scurries around everywhere. I love to play with him when I’m back from school and I always imagine that I am at a farm. He loves juicy leaves and crunchy carrots. Lately his coat feels even more shiny and soft. You know my secret? I have been growing his food myself! I was so excited when I found out that The Trees had started an urban farm where we could learn to farm ourselves. I planted lettuce (Fluffy’s favourite) and it was so exciting to watch them grow until they were ready to take home. He munched the first fresh bunch so happily that I couldn’t wait to grow more things for him. I am so sure he likes what I grow the best. And though we live in a big city, Fluffy and me feel that we are farm buddies.
Bubbly TheFish
Bubbly is my best friend at home. She lives on my table right next to the window and loves to look around all day. She greets me every morning as the sun makes her glow a bright orange. My Bubbly is a special goldfish. She helps me think when I do my homework and even helps me decide what to paint. I love the rainbow patterns her bowl creates on my table. She keeps a close watch on my room when I am out and we always chat before I go to bed. We couldn’t be happier living in our fun, cheerful home at TheTrees.
When we first moved here, the house seemed so unfamiliar and everything smelled different; but I soon discovered how much fun living here was going to be. Earlier Mom and Dad would get home so late that they hardly had time to play with me and just as my day was about to begin they were off again. But now they work close by and spend so much more time with me at home. In the mornings they take me down to the garden and I love rolling in the grass. I have also worked hard to find the perfect nooks in the house for them to read, play scrabble and even listen to music. When Mom reads, she scratches my belly, when Dad is on his laptop he likes me brushing my tail on him and when they watch movies, I always keep their sofa warm.This new house at The Trees sure is cozy. I just make it extra cozy.
Buddy TheDog
The best part of my day is when Rajat takes me down to play. There are so many trees and flowers to sniff, so much space to run and butterflies to chase. I have made so many new friends and all their humans like to play games with us. Thanks to me, Rajat spends a lot more time playing down and less time with that weird toy in his pocket. We all play catch, fetch and then I jump on him when he least expects it. At the end of theday I am so tired that I snuggle up and doze off having happy thoughts of the next day. I love our life at The Trees.
KIDS OF VIKHROLI
ImagineThe blue balloon
It was so exciting when my parents took me along for the The Trees launch event. There were lots of beautiful blue balloons all around the Imagine Studio. Almost like little bits of sky floating about. There were so many other kids there & everyone got balloons. As we all went exploring, our balloons followed us merrily, almost guiding us around. There was a huge model showing how our houses would look & I imagined a tiny me waving at me from the windows. We had come looking for our dream home & looking at all the happiness I think we found it at The Trees.
The bubble lady
I had never seen bubbles so large & imagined how it would feel to float inside one. Some kids chased the bubbles to burst them. Some others looked amazed to see the bubble reflecting the whole world around them. If dreams are like bubbles, these were really big happy dreams.
Playground pointers for my daughters
There are all sorts of kids playing out there. Some are friendly, some are bullies, some are shy and some who may simply ignore you. Be nice to everyone but always protect yourself from getting hurt.
There may be boys who don’t let you join in their game but don’t feel bad. Remember, there isn’t a single game which girls can’t play as well as boys. So practice, get good and it’s only a matter of time until they want you to join them. And before you know it, you can beat them at their own game.
When you find a tree you like, climb it cautiously. The lower branches are thicker but they get thinner the higher you climb and you could fall if you don’t tread carefully. If there is someone below who needs help, always give a helping hand because at another time they might be higher than you.
You don’t always have to play the games your friends want you to. It’s OK if you don’t want to join or just want to be by yourself.
In team games, if the boy captains don’t choose you, always ask them why. More often than not they won’t have a good reason and will be forced to think better the next time. If any of the girls playing know the game well, ask why they can’t be captain too.
It’s not OK to huddle around in a group and make fun of another kid just because they look or act different. They may just know new games which are even more fun. Imagine how boring the garden would be if all the trees looked the same.
There are many kinds of swings, slides and trees to explore so be adventurous. Unless you try everything, how will you know what you enjoy the most.
The playground can be your world but someday the world will also be your playground!
Our Illustrator
