So surreal, yet so real

A city tree in seasonal transition

- Mayank Austen Soofi

A large long-armed tree is standing by a park gate in south Delhi's Hauz Khas Village. A small crowd has gathered beneath it, this sunny evening (see photo).

A band of boys—one with a guitar—is singing love songs, and mostly young listeners are standing transfixed. Others go past without stopping. No one looks up at the tree.

This is not done!

The tree’s leafy canopy being so magnificent. It is glowing in a shade that is neither green nor brown, but a sort of rust.

The leaves do not hold just a single shade. Some leaves bear a burnt tinge, some are pigmented with a kind of faded rosiness, a few are edged with faint gold—an effect perhaps owing to the strong evening sunlight.