"Caw,  Caw ", I can hear the crow's raucous voice at the crack of dawn. As I get up and make my way towards the kitchen, i can see him perched on the veranda sill, his head leaning inside the grill, cocked to one side. He is looking around to see if there is any sign of life inside.He has established himself firmly in that place, waiting in earnest for the bowl of water, that I religiously place every day on the sill for him and his companions.His continuous cawing invites a few more and as they sit on the rod near the sill waiting for their turn, he dips his beak in the water. The others follow one by one and quench their thirst.

It is breakfast time and I can hear his intermittent cry as he waits patiently.I place a small amount of idli or roti or bread and he will pick them up one by one, dip in the water and swallow.Thus well satiated, he will fly away to come back for lunch! Sometimes he is alone and other times there are few more. But these are the same crows that visit every day. At times, I have even observed them flying  down and dipping themselves wholly in the pot of water. The heat must be unbearable and they are unable to find a waterbed nearby.

                                                           

                                                                                                         
                                                             
Lunch time is strictly between 12 and 1. As I concentrate on my prayers, I can see him from the corner of my eyes, arriving early and parking himself in his place.He must be hungry and restlessly moves his head in all directions looking for food. Disturbed by his continuous cawing, I tell him to wait for a few minutes more. He understands my language. He waits patiently till I finish. He doesn't  move even when I go near him and place the ladle of rice and dal on the sill. He knows I mean no harm. In all these months of familiarity, a sort of camaraderie has developed between us. I wait and watch him pecking a little and then making way for the others to have their share. As they fly away, he devours the last morsel which is left. Then he takes a few sips of water, looks at me and flies away. Probably he is thanking me for the food. I fill up the almost empty pot and walk away. Now and then a few of them would fly down for the water during the rest of the day, sometimes creating a racket with all the din and noise of their cawing.

By sunset they have disappeared. I suppose they must have retired in the nests in the neem tree.The day has ended and I expect to hear him next day.Watching the crow everyday is an amazing experience. I am awestruck at their communication skills with each other, their intelligence and their quality of sharing. How disciplined the crow is to arrive at the same time every day.