Once, there was a gardener who loved his plants very much. He planted beautiful plants and everyone admired his garden. The gardener himself however, was worried about a plant in the corner. This plant had bore a flower long back and never since then. The gardener took extra care of the plant although he could see no improvement.
Yet the gardener continued to take care of the plant. He watered it everyday. Ensured that there is enough sunlight for the plant and at the same time covered it enough to save it from the heat. The gardener would sit next to the plant and talk to it for hours. Tell it everything. Shared his bliss and sorrow with it. The plant had a special place in gardener's heart.
One day, to gardener's surprise, the plant bore a bud. This was a great moment for the gardener. He was so excited that he went out running in the fields and announced this to the bees and the beetles. He also went to the farm and whispered it to the cattle. Warned them from ever getting close to that plant.
The gardener watered the plant and watched it closely for hours. He wished he could see the bud grow into a flower. He would get up early and watch the plant. Talk to the bud. "You are special to me darling", he kept saying to the plant.
The bud slowly slowly grew into a flower. A beautiful flower. The flower was so beautiful that the gardener claimed that he had never seen such a flower before. He sat besides the plant and admired the flower like a child.
The next day, the gardener had a visitor. Visitor insisted he wanted to see the garden.The gardener took the visitor to show the garden. The visitor while closely observing other plants, saw the plant in the corner. He, alike the gardener, had never seen such a beautiful flower. He asked gardener if he can pluck the flower. The gardener became furious,"not until I am alive".
The visitor smiled and turned his back towards the plant. But the visitor had evil intentions in his mind. He waited for the gardener to leave the garden. "Can I have some water?", the visitor asked. "Yes, of course", said the gardener. As the gardener went to bring the water, the visitor crookedly pluck the flower. By the time gardener came back, the harm was already done. The flower was plucked and it lied in the stranger's hand.
On seeing this, gardener cried out load,"No, you were not supposed to do that". "Why not?", asked the visitor. With a heavy heart, gardener replied, "it was special, I had sweated out for this particular plant to bear the flower." The gardener moved towards the visitor with a vengeance, "you scoundrel, you must be punished for this is a big crime for me". "give that back to me", the gardener tried to get the flower back.
There began a scuffle to have the flower. Both of them forgot that the thing they fought for was delicate. One pulled while the other pushed. Suddenly, the gardener saw the flower loose a petal. He was taken aback. The thing that he had cherished for so long was being played with ruthlessly.
Soon the gardener realized that the only harm caused in this fight was to his beloved flower. A tear dropped from his eyes as he saw another petal fall. His world, the flower, was getting destroyed right in front of his eyes. The gardener said to himself, it is better to let go the person before its too late. "I hope, you remain just fine", he cried while looking at the flower in the visitors hand.
The gardener was not able to cope up with the loss. He kept crying for hours. He pleaded to the god for the flowers safety. But the flower had gone. The gardener, soon uprooted the plant in the corner and sweared not to ever plant a tree again.
