Life After Death !!

Note: I am extremely sorry for not posting a comedy this time. As I was about to, I felt this one deserved more

Come Monday, my body shivers. I become delirious. No, it’s not the office blues. All the sad and bad things those have happened in my life have all fallen on Mondays. Last Monday yet another tragedy struck me. My cousin brother Zulfiqar Ali passed away all of a sudden, thanks to the brain hemorrhage, he was gone in seconds. All called him Bhutto. He was just 37. I grew up with him in the same house as we had a huge united family. But that day I realised that the biggest living truth in the world is nothing but death.

I travelled back home as soon as I got the news. His family, that’s my aunt’s family was devastated. He had left behind two old parents, two sisters, two younger brothers, two small kids and wife. As the body was brought home from the hospital there was pandemonium in the house. All the relatives mourned, wept and cried for such a loss. It was a shock rather. As I entered the house, the body laid down in the hall. One thing I noticed was his daughter Munazza, 4 year old kid who hardly knows the meaning of life and death, was playing near the body(the other kid is one year old son). Let me admit, I can’t converse with adults because I don’t understand them. I can talk to children though. With some sadness, I lifted Munazza in my arms and came out of the house. Unlike my niece Zoya, this lovely kid is very calm and quite. Below was our conversation

Me: What has happened to your Abba?
Munazza: Looks like Abba fell somewhere. He is resting
Me: No Beta, actually he has gone to some other world
Munazza: Which world?
Me: You see there is a wonderful world which we can’t see. He went there in advance so that he can build a palace for you there, also a nice garden and lots of toys to play
Munnazza: Oh Wooow.. (her face brightened up)
Me: But it will take time. You will have to wait to meet him
Munazza: How long?
Me: May be some 60-70 years that’s all
Munazza: I will wait
Me: For that you should go to school. Else Abba will get angry and won’t build anything for you
Munazza: I will go to school
Me: Now you know the secret where your Abba has gone, you should promise me that you won’t trouble your Mom asking where your Abba has gone.
Munazza: I promise, I won’t. I also won’t tell this secret to Umme Haani(her cousin)
Me: Great girl. Now tell me the truth, did you cry?
Munazza: No
Me: Then who all cried?
Munazza: Daadi Ammi cried. Chacha cried. Phuppu cried. Hmmm…(thinking) Ammi didn’t cry. But Nani Ammi cried lots.
Me: You know what, those who cried are all fools. They don’t know the secret where your Abba has gone. You and your Ammi are brave. Brave people never cry

The little kid smiled.

Then after couple of hours I saw her. She shook her head conveying that she wasn’t crying. Later when hordes of relatives, friends poured in and were shedding tears, Munazza winked at me and smirked at others. Fools, she thought. Just before the coffin was supposed to be lifted for the graveyard all the family members were allowed to see the face of the deceased for the last time. My cousin lifted Munazza in his arms, went near the coffin so that she can have a last sight. The kid remained calm. She didn’t shed a single drop of tear. Tears rolled down our eyes. Then she came to me and said “Chacha, Ammi is not brave any more. See there, now she is crying”. With some difficulty I said “But you are very brave Beta”

The next day I again went to the Aunt’s house. As soon as Munazza saw me, she came running and told in a single breath “Chacha, Abba forgot to wear his pant only. It’s still hanging in the room. Hehe. Also, he also forgot to take all his medicines. What if he dies in that world?”

I had no answer.