Nature, and stray cats: Dhaka’s hidden daily joys

Have you ever noticed people who stop on their tracks, just so they can pet a stray cat? The absolute delight that I feel when I see someone care enough to look at a stray animal or nature for one second longer than necessary is overwhelming in all the best ways. Surely, Dhaka city is unliveable for most beings existing amidst the hustle and bustle, but knowing that there are people who appreciate nature and work on saving it happened to be the best part of my day. 

On a very random hot and sunny Thursday afternoon, I went for a stroll around Gulshan. As someone who feels deeply connected to nature, I like walking around parks and sidewalks that have trees all over. While getting coffee, I noticed a young man staring at the tall trees overlooking the pond in Justice Shahbuddin Park. It was as if he was senseless and lost amidst the greenery. 

"I find peace and comfort just by staring at these leaves," he said, when I asked him about it. He did not want to share his name, but he did share that he had a very chaotic life and these little retreats were his only pocket of silence. He grew up in the outskirts of the town, in a small farmhouse with his parents. They were gone now, and he moved to the city, running errands around the clock, like everyone else living here does. Trees, birds, water bodies — a rare scene in Dhaka — takes him to his cherished memory with his childhood friends and family. Talking to him about his deep-rooted connection with mother nature had been really amusing. 

"I think everyone should work on saving the trees!" he added, before leaving and honestly, if people like him step up to do so, maybe the world will get better and greener. 

If you ask the parents taking their kids out in parks instead of fancy restaurants with play yards, they will say they chose this for the children to connect with nature. As this city is an endless scene of buildings clamped together, there is barely any green in view. These parents want their children to know about the diversity of mother nature, to feel the same amount of joy they felt as children while playing with earth and animals.

"I want them to know they can save this for their own sake," Reshma, a mother of two, responded. Every parent that thinks green, raises a child who grows up loving green. No matter how many artificial play yards or video games rise up, the real glee is playing with mud under a tree. The little stars that had felt such joy might be the ones saving the world in the near future. 

You can see the elders walking down greenery just to inhale some oxygen that is less contaminated. When asked, most elders usually say that they feel suffocated around concrete, and trees are a solace to their slow life. They find peace and freshness in Mother Nature. 

I have also noticed many teenagers of the Generation Z, or 'Gen Z' as it is typically known, find peace in nature and are working to save it. I see them stop on their tracks to pet a silly little cat or an innocent dog on the street every now and then. Activists have risen over time, protesting for nature, working on trying to saving it from destruction as much as they can. 

"Pet them, plant some love. You can always wash your hands later!" An eighteen-year-old girl told me, while feeding strays. She had her giggly fellows with her, who were as busy cuddling the animals. This might have become a trend but they think this was the best trend to ever exist. The girls also mentioned that they worked as a group to clean streets, rescue strays, and plant trees. Witnessing this generation's love for Mother Nature has truly overwhelmed me with so much pride because I am one that finds comfort in nature.

"Destroy the patriarchy, not the planet." They said as I waved them goodbye and maybe, that is pretty possible if we come together to work on it. Maybe, nature and concrete can co-exist if we learn to co-exist with it!
 

Photo: Sakib Raihan