Departed

I was in the office when I received a phone call. It was from my dad. Dad told me that one of my grandaunts, Shanti Aaji had died that afternoon. She had been over 90 years of age. She had been hospitalized over a month ago. She took her last breath that afternoon. Dad had inform me that he and my mom were going to go to her home for the last rites.

I disconnected the call and sat at my desk just blankly looking at the screen. My friend Kirti saw that I was sitting at the desk without doing anything. She came to my desk and ask me, "what happened buddy?"

Her voice brought me back to the reality. I looked at her and said, "a grandaunt died. It was not something unexpected but I am still shocked with the news".

" Oh! tell me more about it. You will feel better. Just vent it out," Kirti placed her hand on my shoulder.

"She was old, maybe over 90 years old. I guess she did not have any heart issues or diabetes. She had arthritis that was diagnosed a few years ago. Because of the medications her kidneys were not functioning well. She was hospitalized a month ago because of chronic kidney disease. Doctors had suggested not to provide dialysis considering her frail health. I went to see her at the hospital last week. She was just skin and bones. It was really sad to see her in that condition. I had seen her during each and every festival working despite of her old age. Last week I saw that she had become an ill woman. That time itself I knew that she did not have much time. And the news came today," while speaking about her I had tears in my eyes. I tried hard not to cry but the force of tears was stronger than my willpower.

"That is really disheartening to listen to. Were you close to her?" Kirti asked me while tightening her grip on my shoulder.

" I wouldn't say I was close to her. She was the eldest in the family. She was the elder to whom everybody used to turn to for guidance for family traditions and rituals. She was the force in the family that kept everyone together. Now that she is gone I can feel that it had created a void in our family" I told Kirti while the tears were flowing.

"It sounds like she had lived a happy and content life. She must have seen the family grow. She must have served the family a lot. What you need to understand is that she had been suffering. Maybe she never showed but she must have been going through a lot of pain. Her arthritis and the kidney disease must have worsened which would have been excruciating. I am sure now she must be free from that gruelling pain. She must be in a better place now. You and your family need to let go," Kirti was speaking gently.

I knew that Kirti was right. Her arthritis continued to progress and she was in great pain. Only death was the solution for her to release herself from the pain. Now she was free from that pain. Definitely she had been at a better place.

I closed my eyes and before my eyes I saw her face. Without words I said goodbye and prayed that she gets peace in her afterlife.