Lies in Hell..!

Hell.. That's unpleasant and unwelcome, above all morbid!

So yesterday right after taking a shower, I was hugged by chilling cold winds and my teeth chattered.. "Ooooh... Who says only fire is deadly, cold is killing too..."

We have always heard people say narak ki agni, dozakh ki aag. Why hasn't anyone used the phrase dozakh ki barf or narak ki thand?

Ok stop laughing, seriously.. Why do we always link rage, heat and fire to hell when in truth silence, cold and snow can be just as fatal?

We have witnessed many times that people die of extreme heat and extreme cold. Doesn't that prove my point? 

If war is an act of rage, isn't the silence in the houses of the martyrs chilling? If violence is unbearable, aren't the dumb spectators intolerable too? If riots and rioters threaten law and order, doesn't the silence of million others, just sitting and watching result to unlawfulness as well?? 

If the cruelty that happened with the people of Manipur left us speechless, isn't the inactivity of the police and government suffocating too??

When anger leads to heated arguments, tussles and huge fights, they result in disrespect and distance. When cold behaviours lead to ignorance and voicelessness, they result in dejection and detachment. Both scenarios tear relationships apart.

Like the saying goes 'Too much is too bad', too much heat burns our bodies starting from outside and too much cold stiffens our muscles and freezes our breath from within.

For now, it feels as if everything told to us about what lies in hell, was all lies!!

So I'd like to believe that hell isn't just about a huge pot of hot boiling oil that we will be fried in or the massive flames of fire waiting to devour us. I guess there may be a corner which is designed to freeze us to death (after death), the falling temperature and its winds awaiting to swallow us. My words are creating a landscape in my mind right now.

One can never know or tell where he or she has gone, if at all there was a means to know where our loved ones are...

In any case, let's all just make sure to be elements of the earth (not hell) by being warm and breezy.. Our warmth may unexpectedly give someone a beautiful memory to take. Our pleasant behaviour may be a reason for someone to smile or just feel better..

Remember we are all on different journeys with struggles curated especially for us, let's not make others' journey tough or painful. After all, why scatter thorns when we can't afford roses ourselves??

If this can make the world a little less brutal and a little more favourable, I bet it'd be worth a try.. And you're still free to share your version of hell with me.. Let's get hell brainstorming!!

CHEERS!!

GOD BLESS!

CHS

 

Follow - on.

Today two very small but big things happened..

Oxymoron, you'd say.. Explanation follows..

One of my father in law's cousins is in town. So hubby and his brother decided to invite him and his son for breakfast. While telling me more about him, hubby said he was dear to my father in law and that's why they wanted to invite him.

So I prepared 3 South Indian dishes and hoped they have a good meal.

All went well and they left and while clearing up, I thought of a person whom Maa looked after like a daughter. Impulsively, I picked my phone and dialled her number.

Her name is Almelu, she was house help for my aunt when we stayed in the same building. She may have not worked at home too long but never refused to help when Maa called her for extra work and just asked her to step in and have tea/lunch.

She fondly called Maa - mummy as she lost her mother when she was a little girl. Her aunt used to work for us and she got Almelu along many times. When she grew older, she started working too and thus the acquaintance.

Its still all fresh in my mind, her conversations with Maa, the way she used to look upto her. How she adored her just for being a pure, calming soul in this unjust, cruel world. She would apologize unstopably when she couldn't come over and would go back grateful when Maa told her "It's okay if you don't come to work, but make sure you come and meet me once in a few days."

I could sense exhilaration in her voice when she knew it's me. We exchanged pleasantries and I told her I just thought about her and called.

She told me how Maa used to call her to meet every 20-25 days. She fell quiet after saying "I don't get a call so frequently from home now and I miss mummy so much.." but I miss her so much. I told her to go home when she can and meet didis and bhabhi. I politely hung up as I found myself at a loss of words to continue.

Tears rolled down and I realized how people who are gone are still remembered and loved. There are people(other than blood relatives) who think about them, miss them, look upto them, talk about them and silently pray they were still around. I asked myself "What would they have done?" and someone from within answered, "They cared!"

They cared for everyone irrespective of their social stature, their distance or even them being close or far off relatives. This also reminded me of one of my maternal uncles, who by the lineage was far but called Maa fortnightly to give updates about what's happening in his life.

He actually eloped and got married and Maa was the first person who he called to inform about it. I reckon sitting next to her when she picked the landline and she almost shouted. She was so happy and upset at the same time..

I was somehow very happy and proud of hubby. He may not have something great but grabbing an opportunity to maintain his father's bond with the people he cared about touched my heart differently today.

After talking to Almelu, I felt bad for not calling her earlier. Sany and Chetan are good and making and keeping relationships, just like Maa. I have been secluded in many ways, but now I want to make sure to talk to these few people who were very very dear to Maa so we can remember her and I can keep her alive.

A small gesture, a phone call is all it takes for us to follow on our parents' footsteps. If that little something makes a difference to someone's life or even brightens the day for someone, we should not let that chance go.

Making donations and having prayer services for the departed mean special undoubtedly but making their special ones feel connected is inexpensively priceless.

I doubt if I'd ever be remembered and missed so fondly after becoming inanimate but while I'm here, I will make sure to keep Maa and Papa's good deeds in practise..

I'll try my best to be the person you were Maa. Please continue to bless us from above. May you shine on.. Lots of love..

GOD BLESS!!

CHS