What can you say for an eighteen year old who died? that he was handsome and brilliant? that he loved basketball and swimming and music? and life ? Death came unannounced to Adhivraj on the terrace of a mall. It folded him up and took him away -from his mother who was landing just a few hours away, from his elder brother to whom he was a son, from his dad, from us- leaving us with only memories of another day.Oh yes ! certainly nothing to complain about that. Enough memories to last a lifetime -and beyond.
Memories of him as a child, darting in and out of our house ; the house resonating with the laughter of the children ;Adhivraj going to Mayo; Adhivraj coming home for holidays; the agonizing decision of-will it be commerce or science . And in all these memories , always the image of his mother. Laughing, proud of his accomplishments, worried about his maths -the eternal mother.
She is sitting quietly,looking down into nothingness, her fingers fold a tissue and then unfold it and then again,ever so gently, fold it again. My dearest friend , I am sitting next to you and I have nothing to say. Just like I had nothing to say yesterday . I will come and sit with you again tomorrow, silently.The little one has left us.
I will always remember the day ( Sunday, the day of rest) and the time. I finish my class and leave .I call up home to say hi and that I will be reaching soon.My daughter's voice gives everything away. What's happened ,I almost scream. Ma, Adhivraj is dead.
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Every life starts to die as soon as it is born ---life is just the distance between birth and death ----the distance --like all distances --can be long or short.Adhivraj's distance was short----maybe it was intense and joyful. That is what you must believe.
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