I received the news late one night. It was shocking and unexpected. In most cases, death comes as a shock for friends and family. When unexpectedness is added the shock increases. For a few minutes, the news stunned me. Soon the phone calls started and everyone discussed what next. A few hours later, I was sitting besides a freezer box which contained the mortal remains of my uncle. His friends and family stood around with sadness. A few of them had tears running down their face. Everyone looked at the immobile face in disbelief. Many of them had talked and seen him a few hours earlier but now he will not be heard and in a few hours not be seen either.
My uncle was a principled person and almost everyone who came in contact with him ended up respecting him. He helped his friends and family to the best of his ability. He was a pillar not just for his immediate family but for many of us belonging to the extended family. We looked towards him for help and advice. I don't remember a situation where he has refused help to anyone. For him, relationships were more important than almost everything else (many a times his own self). He also talked his mind and so many of us had no confusion about his thoughts and intentions. I remember him recounting an incident, which displayed his courage to speak out his thoughts. He worked in the North for many years in a Government organization. Some people of his organization came to him to collect money for the Dusshera celebrations. He refused to pay them saying that both he and Ravan come from the South and he will not support the burning of a South Indian's effigy.
Such instances of courage and love will not be seen or heard anymore. The person responsible lay frozen before us. Many people came and all of us waited as long as we could. As the evening gave in to darkness, wails were heard as he was taken away from his home. A few minutes later, flames enveloped his lifeless body and he remained only in our hearts and mind. We walked away, with the grief settling in and the everyday happening burying it slowly. His family would support each other and grieve for the next few days.
On the fifteenth day, a ceremony was conducted on the shores of a river to ensure that his soul would be in peace. The inability of rationalism to explain everything that happens around us ensured all of us to took part in the ceremony wholeheartedly. The priest's calm voice and lucid explanations enabled us to envision the transcendence of his soul. In a way, the ceremony is like the closing of a chapter. The contents of the chapter will remain with us. Its impact depends on the quality of the chapter itself.
At the end of the day, the little grandson who had taken part in the ceremony turned towards his father and said "What a fantastic day! So many new experiences and learning. I now know what to do when you die".
