I never expected this day to end so ruthlessly….

I had a pretty good time till 7 ‘o clock in the night.. I was at Maria’s house at that time… Good ol’ pals meeting and talking heart to heart after a long time… Maria had to attend her uncle’s wedding anniversary party at around 8, so I thought of leaving in a few minutes. So I called my bro to come and pick me, as I had to go to Spencer’s as well, to buy some things that I needed at my hostel. He said that he’ll come and pick me in an hour, as he needed to go elsewhere for some reason. Then he broke that horrible news to me…….

It was about the death of my 10 year old second cousin, Sandeep, who got drowned in a river near his house… I stood there dumbstruck…. This news was so unbelievable.. Just a week before, he had been running around everywhere with the other kiddos when the death rites of my grandmother’s brother was being performed… Of course, death doesn’t mean anything else than family get-together for kids… Everybody had turned up when such an important person in the family had died at an age and situation unfit for any normal human being… He was not even 65 I think… But his death news wasn’t that surprising, coz he had been undergoing dialysis twice a week and sustained his life with the help of medicines.. In fact, he had already written down his instructions that were to be followed after his death..

But this is a different matter… Who saw this coming? Why did it have to happen? And I cannot imagine his parents’ grief… My goodness…. Each time I think about it, my heart breaks…. How will they feel everytime his absence is felt? How will they feel everytime they see his clothes and his things? Tears are coming to my eyes now… I am praying to God to give his parents and his small brother the strength and courage to accept this reality…

Sandeep, my little brother… May your soul rest in peace….