Humble Aloe plant

This morning I went to water the plants on the terrace. My plants were very happy, nodding their heads in delight, as they were gonna be watered after longtime.

I may have many lame reasons for not watering the plants but for these poor plants I am the sole benefactor. So I  went and watered the plants. Only the first two plants — two Tulsi plants. They were well nourished, even worshipped by my mother every alternative day and on some auspicious occasions with sacred camphor and incense sticks. 

They stood so proud and unsatiated with my half a bucket of water and demanded for more. I didn't relent and went on with another mug. It splashed and spattered with those satisfying mugfuls.

Then I went to the slab and filled the bowl that had been kept by my mother for her lovely constant guests— crows! The moment I filled and moved from the spot, a flock of crows thronged and perched on the slab. Some of them even roosted on the clothesline on which my mother had hung out the washings— my favourite Purple Kurti. I was nagged at the very sight and shooed the crows away.

In this pursuit, I totally forgot about the ''once properly nourished and now left-uncared" Aloe Vera plant which I had planted long ago. It looked at me longingly as usual. Because I had the practice of pouring inadequate water to it, comparing to the greedy Tulsi plants. 

Because I had been haunted by the preachings of my science teacher , when I was a child. It's always typical of the children to believe, sometimes to blindly believe in the words of teachers. I had quite exaggerated what she had taught, "Xerophytes are succulent". i.e., they have the ability to store water for future use.and today it dawned on me that I have been doing injustice to the poor plant. And I poured two more mugfuls of water and I saw it smiling gratefully unlike those proud unsatisfied Tulsi plants!