Still Living.......

Got a call, saying that his hands and feet had turned cold, very cold. I rushed
blindly out of the house, hailed an auto, hurried through the hospital stairs and
silently entered the I.C.C.U ward. There, he was, lying peacefully, as if in slumber,
the same way as he had since the last ten days, when Coma led him there. Never
had I seen him so frail, so quiet, so very static. Moved his blanket a wee bit to
touch his feet – they were ice-cold, his hands – ditto! The various monitors
displaying his body Parameters showed that things were slowly getting
out of hand.

Dad – thanks for giving me these final private moments with you, to bid you
Good-bye. I can never thank you enough for whatever you taught me in life, but
ironically, these painful moments are the ones that I am going to value all thru
out. You had seen me come to life, I am seeing you slipping out of life.

After a couple of anxious hours, the hospital staff informed my brother and me
that our dad passed away. Neither of us shed a single tear. The most difficult task,
but it was our Dad’s wish.......

I had just come back after a tiring day at school, what with the admission
season in full swing. Was about to settle down with my cup of tea, when the
the doorbell rang and Dad walked in. Usually, he dropped in on holidays or in the
mornings, though our houses were just five minutes’ walk apart. But, today,
maybe it is something important. He took his favourite place on the recliner, had
a gulp of water and agreed to just half a cup of tea. He produced a printed sheet
of paper in the form of a letter addressed to his close family, including his Son-in-
law and Daughter-in-law. Giving it to me, he said, ‘This is my will and, after death
I’ve pledged my body for donation. Keep it safe, as it has the contact numbers
of the Trust, who will co-ordinate with you all and the hospital for getting it done
without any hindrance. I read the contents, printed very bold and clear. Here,
he was, sitting hale and hearty in the pink of his health, but on paper he had
proudly declared his death and requested us not to mourn or shed a single tear.
Instead, celebrate his memory and donate his body for the noble purpose of
Medical and Educational Research. To feed the poor and not have any rituals and
functions that are customary. It was signed, Love – Dad, with his photograph
and signature.

Not wanting to discuss, which is a very distant possibility, presumably, I just
kept away the letter deep below my drawer of files. Something shook me up that
day. I had never realized my Papa was thinking of death! He has always been a
man of spirit, vitality, and brimming with life – never a man of destiny. Pushed
himself very hard to achieve, whatever he aimed for and his goals were never
the easy ones. He taught us never to sit back and wait, never to say, ‘I’ve learned
enough’ , never to limit our thoughts and action. His dynamism was inspirational
to all. At the age of 63, he enrolled in a Computer Academy to master the mind
of the machine, so that he could regularly be in touch with his son who had
recently got an overseas project. At the same age, he never allowed me to enroll
in a driving Institute, instead patiently and relentlessly taught me and, my Sis-in-
law the art of maneuvering a four-wheeler, trusting his own brand new vehicle in
our unsure hands. He never once did make a demarcation between me and my
brother. If he was a proud father, then he was the proudest father of a daughter.
Even after I had a family of my own, he never let me go out of focus from his
loving and caring eyes. He cajoled, pushed, and at times forced me to make the
right investments, the act which I will always be grateful for! He was never the
one to follow convention, always extended his love and support to his Son-in-law
and Daughter-in-law in the same volume as us. Never could I imagine my life
without him........

Today, it's been a year since we fulfilled his wish, his body was donated and
it was we, who got the appreciation for the noble deed. But Dad, it was you who
did it. You planned your own life after death – feet only a few would dare to
think about. You still live, amongst the batches of Medical students, like always
teaching and guiding, thru the maze of your body anatomy. You still live in our
lives, guiding us even today thru what you taught us. You still live Dad, you will

still, live even after we join you somewhere up there.

Last pic of dad with mom.