The fifth-floor apartment I live in is frequented by loads of pigeons. They make noise all day around and if the balcony door is left open, they come in and roam around the flat like it was their own. At night one can hear their soft but distinct muttering (as they woo each other?). Everyday the maid complains about the goo they leave behind.

I was telling this to my friend's father and he started talking about the kind of experiences they had when they moved in to NOIDA about 15 years back. Apparently, there were wild animals of all kinds that would cross the streets as you drove through and appear at doorsteps at night. Some new residents even had rough encounters resulting to injuries of various levels. There were many snake- bites, tetanus infections etc.

Talking to him gave me a new perspective. Is it the pigeons who are intruding on my space or is it the other way around?

Over time, it was the birds who were supposed to fly, and hence occupy the upper levels of space. Mankind was meant to share the ground level with other animals who were equipped with legs to walk on. The crawly creatures (snakes, worms) would lead their lives under the soil.

Maybe the pigeons that live on my balcony still believe what is true for their friends living elsewhere where there are no multi-storied apartments - that this level belongs to them. They must have been bewildered when these concrete monoliths would have sprung up in their play area and maybe they resent it even now.

Every new habitation in recent times has displaced an old ecosystem. Townships like Mayur Vihar, Dwarka, Sarita Vihar, Noida and Gurgaon have been built on what was a wasteland. We have dug up the soil for a strong foundation for our skyscrapers and in the process dislodged the snakes who have no other way than to look for prey over the ground. We have destroyed the jungles that ones housed the cheetahs, langurs, monkeys and wild dogs. Now they have become refugees who will go anywhere - including where we live.

I will tell this to my maid. Hope she understands.