I was born a long, long time ago.

I was born as a baby plant. When I started to grow slowly, the surrounding trees told me I am called a peepal tree. My leaves are heart shaped. Children used to gather my unwithered leaves. I used to wonder why they collected them. Then one day I overheard them saying that they soak my leaves in water for days, scrape out the pulp gently and get out my sturdy venation, the arrangement pattern of my veins in the leaf. Then they painted on my venation and made very interesting cards.

By the time I grew up the surrounding trees had died and I was all alone. Then some new fruit trees like a mango tree, banana tree and a litchi tree were planted close by. I made friends with all of them. They all supported me when I was sad. Everyday many people came to rest under my cool shade. Among my friends I was the biggest tree with lots of foliage. I was very proud of it. My friends and I used to talk always with the sway of our branches and leaves. We had lots of fun. But when all my friends grew old and stopped bearing fruits, they were all cut down. I was the only one left. Sometimes I used to wonder when my turn would come! I was very unhappy about the thought of being cut down because so many types of birds live on my branches. They all have their nests too. The squirrels also crawl up and down my brushwood.

Then one day I heard some people talking that they would fell me down to make room for a market. I thought they were joking but they were not. When they actually felled me I was feeling happy and sad as well - Happy, because I imagined I would be with my old friends and sad because I would never see this world again.
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