Ephemeral, Short-lived, Transitory….

Flipping through the news channels, all I can currently see is news regarding the ever rising number of deaths and destruction in Uttarakhand’s ‘Himalayan Tsunami’ which has been a major cause of concern for the state as well central government since the past few days. Stories of people who managed to survive and also of those who lost their lives, or worse, are still missing are being relayed in the television and in the newspapers, making me ponder once again on the ephemeral and transient nature of life. One second you are there hale and hearty, enjoying life to the fullest and the next you are gone forever to an unknown realm from where there is no turning back.

What happens beyond the veil has always been a subject of fascination for me (not the negative kind)… the unfamiliar familiarity with the mysterious, and the desire to know what is in store after comes naturally to me (I suppose to everyone else too). The thought leaves me somewhat scared of the inevitable and yet it holds me in a trance which is hard to come out of. What use is of life and all the pains undergone to make the best out of it, when with each passing second we are moving closer only to death? No one is spared of loss and bereavement, be it friends, family, acquaintances or even role models… and also one day he loses himself to this transition, and yet we strive day and night for petty gains, trivial desires.

Uttarakhand mishap apart from being a national loss is also quite personal to me. Not that I lost someone close to me, but because this summer we (my family and I) had also planned a vacation there which was to happen sometime now. Due to unforeseen reason, the plan got cancelled and this had not gone down too well with leading me to crib and make fuss for rather a good deal of days. And now when I hear about the devastation and fatalities, somewhere deep down I am happy that I was not there… This does not mean that I’m glad about what’s happening. But naturally, I am not in the least. And yet the feeling of being safe and sound, when it might have been otherwise, does wash me over with immense relief and joy.

The damage pains me like it does everyone else and I would have been a happier person had this not been. No death ever brings pleasure, even if it is your worst enemy who happens to be the sufferer. This is one happening where all likes and dislikes get thrown out the window and people stand together supporting in each other’s hurt. It is also a surprise that those who would not see eye to eye during life can also be seen grieving together in death. This fact makes it no easier to cope up with it though, for each death you witness leaves an interminable impact on your mind and comes back to haunt you time and again.

There is no way out evidently and this is anything but inexplicable, as it is not too hard to conceive that it is with death that life sprouts. A generation needs to end for the newer one to take over. This is how it was intended to be and this is what is the most rational. And despite this, all logic fails when one thinks of the unavoidable making you wish for an escape route. I can bet on it that no one in the right mind would choose death even if he is assured of a seat in the heaven. The unfamiliar is never attractive if there is no coming back. However brave a person is, there would always be a little fear of death in him, because it is this very fear which pushes him towards life. Quoting Woody Allen would aptly sum up my sentiments towards the topic, and also every other person’s I presume “I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens.”

And with this I pray for the peace all those who lost their lives and the safety of all who are struggling with theirs each passing second, in the hope to see the sun next morning.