India, March 13 -- Flowers blooming, a fragrant breeze drifting lazily through young emerald leaves, bees humming in quiet devotion, and the soft cooing of koels announcing spring - there is a certain magic in this season that gently awakens forgotten parts of the soul. Each year, as I teach pollination to students, my classroom walls seem to dissolve. We step outside into living textbooks, gardens bursting with colour, and I am reminded of Rabindranath Tagore's open-air classrooms, where nature itself was the greatest teacher. Watching bees and butterflies hover over blossoms, dusted in golden pollen, feels almost sacred. In their quiet, tireless movement from flower to flower, they renew life, enabling reproduction, fruit formation, seed production, and sustaining biodiversity. These tiny creatures, so easily overlooked, carry the future of our planet on their delicate wings. Yet how often do we pause to thank them? One day, in the middle of this living lesson, a student asked, "Ma'am, what will happen if there are no flowers? What will insects do?" The innocence of the question struck deeply. Without flowers, insects would vanish; without insects, spring would lose its poetry; without pollination, life as we know it would begin to fade. Suddenly, the garden seemed fragile. My thoughts wandered to the lyrical verses of Kalidasa, whose works Ritusamhara and Raghuvamsham celebrate spring as Rituraj, the king of seasons. Could there be a king without his court of butterflies and bees? Even childhood melodies like "Titli udi, ud jo chali" would become mere echoes of a vanished world. The very idea feels like losing a piece of memory. There is a quote often attributed to Albert Einstein: If bees disappeared from the Earth, humanity would have only a few years left. Whether literal or symbolic, the message is sobering - no bees, no pollination; no plants, no animals; no life. How fortunate we are in Chandigarh, a city that proudly shelters over a hundred butterfly species within its serene Butterfly Park in Sector 26. In a world overwhelmed by relentless construction, rising traffic, and shrinking green spaces, such sanctuaries feel like whispers of hope. Recently, the striped butterfly was declared the state butterfly of Chandigarh, a symbol of resilience and strength reflecting the city's rich natural heritage. It is a small yet meaningful step toward conservation, a true butterfly effect. Beyond ecology, butterflies teach us philosophy. From an unassuming caterpillar enclosed in a cocoon to a radiant winged marvel, their journey mirrors human transformation. They remind us that struggle is often the prelude to beauty, that patience births freedom. As I watch these petite pollinators, I see lessons in teamwork, social harmony, and selfless service. They work tirelessly for a world that rarely notices them. Perhaps the least we can do is protect their fragile habitats. It is heartening that the United Nations observes May 20 as World Bee Day, a reminder that pollinators keep our planet thriving. Emily Dickinson once wrote, "The lovely flowers embarrass me, they make me regret I am not a bee." On mornings scented with spring, watching sunlight rest gently on fluttering wings, I understand exactly what she meant....