A fleeting moment in a journey called Life
Joginder uncle lost his life partner Toshi Auntie yesterday.
I got 4 missed calls from him which I couldn't take as I was in a group Meditation.
When I called him back he was talking in a matter of fact and balanced voice- बाकी सब ठीक है बेटा, तोशी कल चली गयी, आज उसे 11 बजे पहुंचाने जाएंगे।
When I met him a bit later, he must be the only person whom
I met as always- hugging and laughing. Onlookers were horrified.
Why was that? Read on to find out...
We met first time exactly 25 years to the date when I bought
my first house and he had also shifted to his new house just opposite mine
after his retirement.
I wasn't even 30 and he was an experienced wise man, full of
humility and life's philosophy, which I didn't understand at that stage.
In due course, he became a family member rather a family
head and may be even more than that.
During my absence from Dehradun and while I was on board the
ship, he would stand like the rock of Gibraltar for my wife and daughter. I have
never seen him complaining about his personal problems which were aplenty.
I came back once on leave, it was after Diwali only to discover
that he had lost his younger son who was a full grown adult during the
gallbladder operation at the hands of a local doctor.
His elder son was suffering from childhood hematological
problem which he wasn't properly aware of. When I took both of them to a
specialist, while taking out some papers from his pocket the receipt of the
firewood which were purchased for cremating his younger son fell out.
Even the doctor was shaken and looked at me with questioning
gaze.
Soon enough his elder son also passed away.
After both the losses he had very casually said that he
looked after his sons as long as they were with him and now let almighty take
care of them.
He never complaint about any God and nor did he become an
atheist.
Then I bought another house and moved to a different
locality but would meet uncle once in awhile. We would always hug each other
like long-lost friends and chat away refusing to listen to each other and more
interested in talking about ourselves.
5 years ago ,I had lost my mother and was quite in grief. A
few days later Uncle came to see me and before he could utter a word , I jumped
and hugged him laughingly. I did not need his sympathies and was instantly
rejuvenated.
And since we both understood each other so perfectly, when I
met him today I did not see any reason to put on artificially sad face and
sympathize with him.
Uncle doesn't need it.
While leaving the cremation ground he told me that now he is
free to come for Vipassana.
I told him , sorry we don't need a teacher right now.
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