The Obituary

II Dad:  01-03-1995 to 18-03-1999 II

Yes, he was physically born much earlier but my misfortune that I looked at him as just ‘Dad’ after I fell in love with my would be hubby. I was so swept off my feet and engrossed in the new relation and new relatives that I didn’t realize that I was neglecting my Dad. I had turned into a selfish person, just wanting Dad to get me married. I didn’t see the emptiness that I was creating in my Dad’s world, especially since after my parent’s got divorced.  Dad had raised me all by himself. I meant the whole world to him and he meant everything to me.

I did realize my mistake one day. So I wrote a letter to my dad, confessed, apologized, begged for forgiveness. I didn’t get a reply.  But then, I got an opportunity to go home. I was in Chandigarh then and soon I would be going home: My dad’s home, first time after getting married. The first thing I had decided to do was to just give him a hug and say sorry for being so selfish. Then I had planned on spending a good week with him, just him and me. Revive the good old days! Make up for all the wrongs I had done to him.

But my bad luck, I missed the scheduled train. For no fault of mine we reached the station late.   Dad always scolded me for not being on time and I used to disregard it.  And now I was about to learn the worst lesson of my life.

 I took another train the next day and reached Mumbai. Just four more hours to Pune and I would be back with my Dad. I was revising my list of things to do with dad and was relieved to know that I was going to get a chance to undo the damage. Yet again, my bad luck, the journey took me more than 8 hours because of the highway construction. Finally, I reached home. I had visualized my Dad opening the door with a huge smile, but, then again….my worst luckL

I was redirected to a rickshaw near a hospital. I saw him lying lifeless and cold on the back seat. He had just passed away due to a massive heart attack. Fate had taken away my only chance of making up.  What followed next is too painful for me to describe even today.

Some lessons in life are learnt the hard way. There is still one more that he taught me even after his death. There were some people who were with me all through the mourning days. I had not invited them but they understood my need and stood by me. But then there were others supposedly near ones who didn’t turn up even after inviting them. They chose to hang on to their ego; pride and position satisfy their needs first rather than standing with me through my worst phase.

Thus I learnt my lessons, never forget your old relations, never disrespect time, and never take things and people for granted. Identify and cherish people who will stand by you, uninvited. Let go of the people or let go of the hope of changing the people who do not budge even after someone’s death. Remember! If you cannot let go, you will have to bow down to them always!