Before The Last Breath

I rushed to the hospital after being informed by my school peon about the sudden decline of my grandmother's health. She had been admitted to the hospital since last ten days. She was diagnosed with dengue. Initially, we had thought that she will be okay within two or three days. But with no signs of improvement in her health, we had to admit her in the hospital. Because of low immunity, she was finding it hard to fight with the life-threatening disease. The bacteria was spreading rapidly resulting in the failure of her other vital organs.

I hated to go to the hospital. The atmosphere inside the building felt threatening with hundreds of worried faces and smelled awful with the disinfectant. I prayed to God for her speedy recovery, so that I wouldn't have to visit the horrible place again.

As I was just a few steps away from the ICU, the peon's words echoed in my mind. "Ajay! Your grandmother is taking her last breath, go fast to meet her before she leaves you forever." A chill ran down my spine. A number of thoughts crossed my mind. How is my grandmother? Have I already lost her? No! I can't afford to lose her. She has to live. She has to fight with the inevitable for her best friend. I have to enjoy my life with her and learn a lot of things from her. And with these bundle of frightening emotions, I entered inside the Intensive Care Unit. It felt like the room was waiting for me to increase my panic. Tubes were going into her mouth. The bed was connected to a monitor, which constantly made an irritating ticking sound. Three screens were organised near the bed. I didn't know how the screens worked. I only wished that everything was in control. Even though the room's temperature was low, yet I was sweating. I thought to ran out from the room, but then I saw something unusual. My grandmother was smiling. The smile which clearly depicted that she was at peace. Maybe she was rewinding her beautiful journey of life. Just a month ago we had celebrated her sixty-fifth birthday. That night, after the party was over, I had a deep conversation with her. I loved talking to her. She never failed to inspire me with her words of wisdom. And that night, it seemed that she was in full flow. I had asked her about, how her life had been till then.

Adventurous! It has been quite adventurous, she replied enthusiastically.

And what is the secret to the adventure, I asked.

Nothing much, you can sum up it between just three words: dreams, love and happiness. My parents never failed to encourage me to chase my dreams fearlessly and with a positive intent. It's not that I didn't fail, but then the taste of success after fighting back vanished all the pain. And I'm telling you, never be afraid to fall in love, but before falling for others, learn to love yourself first. Because then only you will be able to taste the bliss of love till your last breath.

And happiness, it is most important to live a content life. Of course, money is important, but always remember it should not come at the cost of your happiness. And whenever you feel like you have enough to offer others, never hesitate to help others. It will not decrease your wealth, instead, increase your happiness by umpteenth times. I'm experiencing the ecstasy of love, achieved my dreams and living a happy life. That's all you need to live a satisfied life.

My thoughts were interrupted by her, as she signalled to remove the tubes and the needles that were attached to her palm. I told her that these are for the speedy recovery of her health but she insisted. The nurse followed her request as if it was her last wish. She waved me to come closer. I put my left ear near her mouth and she mumbled, "If you want to die peacefully, live an adventurous life full of love, dreams and happiness." She took her last breath and died peacefully.