365 DAYS 365 TALES

A Celebration of Life

I walked slowly behind the small procession, holding my daughter's hand. My wife had been too distraught to call for the baby sitter. Now Antara was forced to come with us and witness what I thought was a gruesome ritual.

Ahalya walked in front of me, clinging to her mother and sobbing. I had no idea it would affect her this much. For days my five-year-old kept asking why her mother was crying and why Grampa wasn't saying anything. I had to be creative with my answers and it wasn't pleasant.

The wind blew away the sheet and my father-in-law's dead body was exposed. I shielded Antara's eyes but I wasn't fast enough.

Her tiny hand tugged my large one away from her eyes. I looked down, about to scold her but she was already looking up at me. Her grey eyes had a stubborn glint to them, the same one she got whenever I didn't buy her the toy she had asked for.

"Daddy, Grampa looks so peaceful. A few days ago, he was always in pain. He would try to hide it but I am good at hide and seek. I saw it. If he is happy now then why are momma and Grama crying. Shouldn't they be happy that he is happy?" she asked.

My father-in-law had suffered from cancer and no matter how many times he said no, his family had forced him to go for chemotherapy. As a result, the last two months of his life had been spent in excruciating pain.

I blinked and stared at my tiny daughter, sudden realization hit me with the impact of a lightening bolt.

Death was the celebration of life. Without it, the beauty of life would be lost. The world would become a dark, damned place, akin to man's image of hell. Death was what made life worth it.

Death wasn't just an inevitable fate. It was the natural order of things. Every ending lead to a new beginning. Without an end, everything would be stuck in a rut, unable to move forward.

"They are sad that they won't be able to talk to Grampa anymore. And when people are sad, they don't really think."

"I miss him too. But he is happy. So I am too."

I sighed and looked ahead. I knew that saying all this to my wife would only end badly, so I kept my mouth shut. But as my brother-in-law lit up my father-in-law's body, tiny wisps of smoke curled up in the sky and suddenly the ritual didn't seem so gruesome anymore. In a twisted sense, it was a celebration of life.

The same fire which burned in the Sun and made all life possible, ended a person's journey on Earth. It was beautifully symbolic.

Sighing, I picked up my daughter, held her close and kissed her forehead.

I had never felt more at peace than I did that day.

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Snigdha_Sk (19/4)

We couldn't resist but take up her entry for the book eventhen she got the second place in the contest. We want you to enjoy the work of another wonderful author.

Hope y'all had a clear view on life through a child's eyes.