The war is raging, and the world economy is in doldrums. You can’t fix anything, except witness the suffering of innocent people, little children included. At the same time, spring is coming, and the songbirds are singing. This is life, kahin khushi kahin gham…

The spring season in Delhi is dazzled by the blooms of the Semul or Silk cotton tree. Birds and insects flock to the tree to relish the nectar of its beautiful red flowers. Some mammals, too, relish the sweet blooms. These majestic trees lose most of their leaves and are filled with clusters of large red flowers in February and March.

Photos and text by Prerna Jain.