The Grim Reaper
I have been bemoaning the way a generation seems to be passing to realm of memories only in 2011. This was after witnessing in swift succession the death of great personalities like Shammi Kapoor, Mansur Pataudi, Jagjit Singh, Bhupen Hazarika and Dev Anand in India and Steve Jobs outside. But I was not prepared for Death to come knocking home. My father in law also breathed his last- 22 Dec 2011.
He had been in Pune with his elder daughter for the past four months or so, then he was in Bangalore for a week and finally returned to his home in Chennai accompanied by both his daughters, his wife and his grandson. He reached his home, supped and went to bed. He did not wake up again apparently due to a heart attack.
There are many ways to philosophize on this- he died quietly without any apparent pain; everything seems to so perfectly planned- his dying at his pen home with his immediate family around him.. but eventually, he is no more and that's what the family agonizes over. He was not a very active man but he was still There.
I have a personal regret too. Over the week he was here, I was deep into a product release at office and was rarely at home for leisure and even over the weekend, I attended a music meet and was not much at home. So I just did not get to spend sufficient time with him over his last stay here. That will cause some bitterness in the days to come. Time will have to heal all this eventfully. What different people may say is only words, but it is eventually the close family circle- his wife and daughters- who will feel his absence most keenly. They just have to live this through and take stock of life again.
He had been in Pune with his elder daughter for the past four months or so, then he was in Bangalore for a week and finally returned to his home in Chennai accompanied by both his daughters, his wife and his grandson. He reached his home, supped and went to bed. He did not wake up again apparently due to a heart attack.
There are many ways to philosophize on this- he died quietly without any apparent pain; everything seems to so perfectly planned- his dying at his pen home with his immediate family around him.. but eventually, he is no more and that's what the family agonizes over. He was not a very active man but he was still There.
I have a personal regret too. Over the week he was here, I was deep into a product release at office and was rarely at home for leisure and even over the weekend, I attended a music meet and was not much at home. So I just did not get to spend sufficient time with him over his last stay here. That will cause some bitterness in the days to come. Time will have to heal all this eventfully. What different people may say is only words, but it is eventually the close family circle- his wife and daughters- who will feel his absence most keenly. They just have to live this through and take stock of life again.
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