Farewell Like Never Before

We all had gathered that day and were seated in a circle. Apart from the immediate family we all were a bunch of friends - each one with a different connection yet leading towards this one source - Papa and Ba. Sheetal and Khushmita also arrived unexpectedly that day or rather were just pulled.
Papa was on the bed as if watching all of us and Ba sitting next to him holding his hand and caressing his forehead. Ba is 89 years of age and a long time attendee and a radiant soul at our Awakin gatherings on Tuesdays.

From the time i have known them i have always seen them together. Laughing, chatting, exchanging those adorable looks, seeing deeply in each other’s eyes, eating and sharing together, watching the sunset and so much more. After all it was 64 years of partnership…as Ba says it was like growing up together.

On the background soft Gujarati music was been played. ‘Maitri bhaavnu pavitra zharnu……’ One after the other soulful music was filling the gaps in the room. After some time each one of us started chanting prays, bhajans and words of gratitude flowed endlessly…..prays from the Quran, chanting of Navkar mantra 108 times, heavy rains outside and some place far dhols (big drums) played their havoc just adding so much energy in the room….the vibrations could be felt by one and all. Probably a new person would not have understood what was happening here and for many of us here too it was a new experience …we were biding a farewell to Papa.

Papa, 96 years of age was embarking on his last journey a journey to the unknown and we all were celebrating…. The fragrance of the incense sticks, the oil lamp kept flickering yet glowing and the roses in pink and the little white flowers added their radiance in the room. His entire family by his bed side was such a blessing. Papa was only on water for a few days - it was the choice he had made. Each day from then on he reached nearer to his milestone. That day too he was still breathing…and with the chants he was responding though he was in a stupor.

It was like we all were on the railway platform and Papa was in ‘that’ train which will take him to that blissful place shortly once the light turns green. We all in our own way were saying ‘Aaoo jo’ (bye here) to Papa and we could just imagine his smiling face waving us ‘goodbye’.

In a few hours Papa was no more with us. 96 years of pure blissful life. A legacy he left of happiness and contentment….so many flowers had to be picked up from his journey and kept in our palms for not to be crushed…

Ba said it was a love story without ever saying ‘I love you’ as we never felt the need to say it, it was something more than that…

We celebrated death…..and this all happened in his abode named MAITRI…meaning noble friendship