Cold Death

No one believed how quickly life was paralysed by the disease, Biswasara Babu himself could not realize his end would capture him so soon without his knowledge. He was the most brainy man in Odisha but suddenly became the prey of his miscalculation of life. His day to day calculation, each day he writes a diary, the date, month, day and night. He was an honest retired finance officer. The gratuity, pension he got at the time of retirement was not counted as a remarkable saving but, with his faith and effort he could be able to save ten times more than his expectation. He was a rich person with his lands, property and bank balance. His children knew the truth that their father would never expect money for his medical treatment anytime. It is not that they were not mentally ready to serve his father.

The tragedy was neither could Biswasara was alert of his death alarm nor his children could predict his misery so soon. In the consequence, he died miserably without proper diagnosis, medical treatment with his bank balance but without spending it. What was the use of such saving her relatives sobbed in to tear they exclaimed in tragedy ‘what was the use of money if, is not used for his health at his death time, he just left overall for his ancestors who would regret in future’. If it is perceived in a broader sense, it is only the passing on of property from father’s to son who takes the oath to preserve the ancestral property only, possession of material or physical property in the name of dynasty.

At the time of his death, his children were feeling miserable, restless, helpless except praying to god to save his precious life, the unnatural pathetic end which, the children could not predict so soon. Yes, they had neglected him but, they could not predict the outcome of their negligence would take his life, so much physical pain, misery he would suffer. He too had abundant faith in his children. His children would try their best in providing all medical facilities as they all are in very high dignitaries, high posts. Sons are in higher government department, son in laws are in higher central government jobs, nephews are reputed doctors, cousin brother is a specialist. What happened at the end? A tragic end, due to his ignorance and negligence of his children death took Biswaswara babu’s life within one weak.

Biswaswara babu fell sick, he could not move properly still he was not bed ridden. He could manage himself without attendant and other help for three days. He could feel better after taking injection in each six hours. As he was getting severe pain in his chest bone due to mild hair crack.

He was so independent type of person who never asks other help, who never depends on other help or service, he never likes to trouble other as long as he can bear the pain managing his own work. After three days he could not be able to mobilise himself so smoothly without other help. Two servants or attendant were appointed to attend him still then he insisted to do his own work like bathing, dressing etc. None of his children assisted him or served him as a patient or as their beloved father who used to carry his children in their childhood whole day and night, not even to his children but also to the grandchildren.

Why why there exists a gap in generation, no one knows. That we easily find excuse defining it as generation gap but in real, it is clear negligence, lack of intimacy, love care and affection, the older people expect from us. We never understand their loneliness and helplessness. We cannot read their minds. We make them miserable giving the feeling of dependence, invalid, helplessness and insecurity. The term we are used to use as the symptom of frustration in old age. Why do they feel lonely and helpless. It is obviously known when the grownup children take everything for granted. One more main reason is money.

Even if the children are very rich still they calculate the relation in share market, how much share each child can share from his share. What is his or her responsibility, duty towards their parents they decide by calculating economically, mathematically ratio wise

 

The duty has to be divided by the number of children. If one hesitates to do other tries to escape, after all it is the matter of money who knows whether he would survive or not. If he dies then what is the use of spending so much of money, if he survives then he needs more postnatal medical care, who will pay for that??? This is the imaginary fear which upsets the children in serving the patient or their father. It is the general psychology of human beings in this modern society, this advanced generation take relation in money term. The parents hesitate to take financial help from their children too, it hampers to their self ego and prestige. It hurts them if the chidren deny to help them.

Same thing happened in Biswaswara Mohapatra case. Children were looking at each other who would take the responsibility of admitting him in hospital, government or private anywhere. Who would bear the expense, immediate medical expenses. Here the situation is different, extremely tragic. Why? Biswaswara babu could guess the mentality of their children so, he was ready for the financial expenditure. He had withdrawn a huge amount of money from his state bank accounts. He had handed over his ATM card to his children. So that, no one would be reluctant to admit him in hospital.

Oh god!!! It is the cruelty, misery of his fortune, he was not alert of his miscalculation that, children could see the astrology of his dark future or it might have happened that children were not at all aware of such a tragic end. He was admitted to hospital when he was totally paralyzed, immobilized. He felt breathless, due to lack of oxygen. He could not urinate properly. His whole body got swollen up showing the abnormality of his health’s deterioration rapidly. He needed urgent medical care. Now the children could realize the emergency medical care for a seventy six years old patient. One day he stayed in ICU[ intensive care] then he looked very peaceful and relaxed after taking oxygen, cathedral, his body was not moved. He was bedridden whole day and night. He could eat food properly. He felt relaxed. Doctor did a thorough medical check up, blood test, heart, lungs and brain check up, everything was fine. His memory, his brain was hundred times active then young people. He could remind all his medical history which he explained beautifully to the doctors. All were happy that at last he survived, crossing all danger signal line.

After one day peaceful stay, his health deteriorated badly, he was too late for the medical treatment, he was admitted too late. He had mild infection in his lungs due to fracture, which the doctors could not diagnosis properly in time, due to lack of medical care his lungs affected his breathing procedure and the heart, there could not be proper blood circulation to the heart and brain. As doctor explained his death as an abnormal accidental case but reality is, they could not diagnosis what it was, an heart attack or lungs failure or any infection, what problem exactly no one could know, only god knows.

It is said, if death comes, no one can hold it, no one can protect it from taking his life. He was very emotional while he was dying, he expressed his desire well wishes to his children, holding their hands tightly that, his words were uttered like this, ‘I will not survive any more, no one will regret for my death. live peacefully. I have distributed all my property among all rationally. You will not blame me further’.

After his tragic death, immediately his dear and near people gathered at his residence. His dead body was discharged from the hospital as soon as possible. Their son and daughter finished all mandatory rules and regulations of the hospital. The person Mr Biswaswara Mohapatra was defined as a dead body losing all his present identity or existence from the earth. His name became the past, presently his name turned to be a dead body only not identified as Biswaswara Mohapatra, but, with all earthly present attachment of his kith and kin who can visualize him from a senseless physical complete form to an infinite invisible form of soul. Immediately his relatives praised his glory. They declared him instantly, spontaneously as a divine soul, a man an incarnation of God, a divine person, a divine person who passed away with all his glory and sacrifices.

Immediately his body was carried to his dearest village, his birth place, the village of Brahmin administration, Puri district, from there he was carried with procession to Puri swarga dwar gate way of heaven, where his cremation will be performed. Thousands of villagers gathered there to see his cremation ceremony. It was the tribute, a salute, a respect for his dead body, because, he was a very popular and reputed figure in Puri. His dedication towards his society was really so great that all could realize after his death. There was not a single family in his village who had not been privileged by his help and sacrifice. He was a true social worker, a true political leader, who could mould, influence the society by his dedication and selfless help towards the needy person. The needy might have forgotten him for some reasons but his family never forgets to express his gratitude towards Biswaswara babu.

They remained always grateful to him. Out of their gratitude and obligation, they sent so much money on his name after his death on his funeral ceremony which was observed for ten days continuously in his village as well as in his residence. Every day people offered mahaprasad to poor people, it was the symbol of their regards for the dead soul who could have resided in heaven so happily bestowing upon his relatives his precious blessing as they were imagining. It is said if the relatives follow the rituals, then his soul would stay happily in heaven. The person will have no attachment with earthly life, at last he can get salvation.

Some people compared him with Lord Vishnu, Lord Jagannath as he was born with the blessing of Lord Jagannath only. Earth is the destiny of someone’s life, earth is the manifestation of hell and heaven both, the sacrifices glory of the man is considered from his dedication and service only at the time of his death. All could feel the loss of his life miserably. He was a person who could speak so consoling, positive, assuring and sweet words like pouring nectar to the restless, painful agonised hearts. He was filling the minds of the weak and poor person with hundred times more courage, mental strength, hope and positive feelings. He was a divine picture, a respectable elderly personality with full maturity and practical experiences of his generation and the future generation.

People could not express the words of his glory, his personality in writing or in words. They were so influenced by him. He was the godfather, the father of all, his own family, his own relatives and his whole village. Many orphans have been brought up under his protection, he was the great Bunyan tree who knows only to give shade, cooled shade of shelter, protection and peace to all the travelers who come across it. Who wants to sit under his shade for some times. He was that cooled sweet source of fountain who knows to pour his love , the shower of blessings on all needy people quenching their thirst. No one was his enemy even if there was any, he could not be his enemy for a long time, every one was being influenced by his personality and sacrifice.

People started publishing about his glory in various daily news paper, dharitri, sambad, samaj odisha express, bhaskar, prajatantra, odisha pallhisri every where, all most all news paper covered his sacrifice and dedication towards his society. While he was working as the government officer in Odisha in various departments like treasury, education, finance, culture and industrial development in various fields, he had been worked as a very honest and sincere officer, he had brought various changes in the system of government rules, laws and the infrastructure of the department itself.

He had revised the pension scheme for the retired teachers both private and government. So that teachers could be privileged enough in getting their pension properly, thousands of teachers were obliged by such scheme. He brought some scheme s of granting loans to the small scale industries to be more efficient, more independent in it’s own production, they become economically more stronger reliable and totally independent raising more revenue to the state government. Small cottage industries, handicrafts factories could progress rapidly. He could go through several cases, hearing while he was working in tribunal as the finance adviser and law officer. He had handled many cases relating to sales tax, and revenue tax. He had a very good reputation as a law officer who could easily solve the disputes, who could easily give justice to the victims. He had given the deserved right to he victims who had been deprived of his right paying all debt and tax also from a long time. He was a real tribunal judge, a real treasury officer, a real finance adviser, a real sales tax, finance officer who never did injustice, never neglected his official duty for the well fare of the society and the government too.

He was a great financial helper to all needy people, who were his own, children, his own relatives, his villagers, his office staff, who ever asked him money he never said no at his misery time. He extends his helping hands to give him some money. Usually people had great faith in him. Sometimes he gives loan to villagers for their higher studies or for medical treatment. Off course they return back the money after they are established or being cured. Either they get blessing from his help or they bless Biswaswara’s family in secret that God knows but all had good feelings, well wishes for the old man.

The old man could not ask any help. He had not demanded any right in return from his well wishers why??? That was the mystery and tragedy of his life. He could have asked or ordered as a divine command to his relatives and children who had forgotten their duty, a small sacrifice towards their father. He could have reminded them, what he had done for them when, they are worried narrating their misery, poverty, helplessness to the godfather always paining and troubling his heart.

When the son had fallen in dispute, his father had given him financial aids, when the grandchildren wanted to study higher studies, he had given lakhs of money as study loan, even he had willed lakhs of money in the name of his children, his ancestors. He had donated lands, property to various trusts and well fare committees as financial aids. Everyone used to look for his help, how could God give such a tragic death and a punishment to him without his fault. So that, his children would feel guilty. They would be ashamed of their careless escaping thought, negligence towards their parents throughout their lives.

He was a great soul, so god made his death so dignified that he hid not beg any one help never felt the helplessness feeling, in secured feeling, consciousness of invalid, useless, meaningless life who would be considered as a burden for their children. He died without troubling his children. He died with dignity with out getting scolding of their children. Attachment sometimes becomes burden, worries. Parents become children for their children, children used to scold them in their helplessness but fathers never trouble their children. He left all for their children without taking any thing from his children no money, no, care, no love, no help, no assistance, no physical help. He was such a divine soul who just left all blessing, all money to their children taking all their pain, worries, anger and bad feelings. Children were left just to regret for their father, who would feel guilty always, who would feel the feeling of their negligence, inability towards their father.