The Judgement Day

'You're welcome here!' A familiar sound came from the entrance.

I was really horrified. And I stood up out of surprise. A man wearing a broad smile on his face and dressed in a long white robe entered into the room through the door – the only entrance to the room. He seemed to be very familiar but I couldn't recognize.

He sat in the front chair and asked me to sit down. A visibly shocked and disturbed I just stood there clueless. The door then closed.

'Don't be tense!' He said maintaining that smile on his face, 'calm down!'

A familiar voice…I felt! But again I couldn't recall.

I was still confused, not able to decide how to respond. In fact, since I had opened my eyes I was getting shocks one after another, getting myself in a very strange and startling situation. I felt like I had been in a deep slumber.

As I opened my eyes, I discovered myself seated on a small wooden bench placed in the middle of a comparatively large but empty room. Only a chair was placed in front of me. Milky white painted walls were pretty high. The floor and ceiling too were white although walls appear to be more prominent with bright light.

I started thinking hard about why I was here and where I was earlier. But nothing flashed in my memory. A naive I was wandering till the man entered into the room.

'You need to sit down now!' His voice became a bit instructive.

I sat down and tried to control my heightened heartbeats. I gave him a questioning expression as I was really inquisitive to know what the hell was going on. He still had that graceful smile on his face. Definitely he wasn't making fun of me rather I felt that he was perhaps sympathetic to me.

'Do you recognize me?' He asked.

I was really irritated even in that pathetic condition. But I controlled myself and shook my head to say... 'No!'

He was evidently surprised. He gave me a fleeting look and then stood up and said dramatically, 'Welcome to Judgment Day Assessment man!'

I again stood up, this time out of severe shock as if I had a stroke! In fact, I had a stroke earlier too...but

'Judgment day? Am I dead?' I asked myself.

'Yes! You're Sir!' He answered as if he heard my inner voice. 'Your mortal innings ended just moments ago!' He said plainly.

I was standing like a statue not knowing how to react.

He then extended his left hand towards the wall. A screen appeared on it where I could see my lifeless mortal body lying on a bed. My wife and children were crying. The grief-stricken neighbors and friends had gathered outside the room with a saddened face.

Then the screen vanished. The man saw me in an expression as if he was consoling me. I sat down on the bench with a heavy heart. I just couldn't believe that I was dead. I remembered that I was in the hospital post a dreaded heart stroke.

Death is inevitable although no one wants death? But what's all that? If I was dead, where was 'Yamapur' and those monsters looking Yamdoots, Chitragupta, and Yama? Was that person Yama or Yamadoot?

'Imagination has no limit dear' he said. In fact, he perhaps answered my unasked questions., 'Human is free to imagine on the possible afterlife, but none have ever imagined the exact scene in the afterlife!'

I didn't say anything. He became serious.

'Now your test begins!' he said promptly. Now, be careful to understand the rules. 'Unlike in your mortal world, here no time is wasted for preparation.' He paused for a moment and said in an instruction mode, 'I will ask four questions, you need to answer honestly. There'll be no clue to any question.'

Although I found myself in a very baffling condition I was realizing that there was no escape route. I tried to prepare myself as much as possible.

'There is a wristwatch in your right hand', he pointed his finger to my right hand. I raised my hand and found a typical watch on my wrist. It was not showing any time, rather has a round screen where it was displaying different colors. I couldn't remember when and who tied that watch on my hand.

'The watch will indicate green to the correct answer and red to the wrong answer.' He was still in an instructional model. 'If your answer is partially correct or incorrect, then it will show yellow color. It's to be noted that the moment your answer is right or wrong, the test ends, and the reward for "correct answer" or punishment for "incorrect answer" will be delivered instantly.'

I couldn't understand that and looked for further clarification.

'I'll ask questions. If your answer becomes right or wrong in the very first question, then the test will end immediately. If your answer gets a yellow display, then I'll continue asking the second one and so on. However the last question has no yellow display, it'll be either green or Red. Am I clear?'

I nodded.

'What will be the consequences of this test??' I asked. 'I mean what type of  reward or punishment?'

He smiled. 'At this level, you can remember your past life only. You can't know what is stored in the next phase. Like this phase was unknown to the mortal phase, the next phase is also unknown to this mid-phase.' He explained, 'However at this phase, you can imagine "limitlessly" about the next phase!' 

Did he ridicule me? A thunder streamed through my spine. I was aware that mortal life was never full of the right things. Thus whatever the questions, punishment is imminent. Definitely the retribution would be utterly terrible! Its thought itself was sufficient to give me goosebumps.

'Don't you really recognize me?' He asked a bit curiously.

Was he asking his first question? I looked into the watch. It was blank.

'I haven't started questioning you,' He quickly said. 'I just felt that you should know me! Anyway, the watch can help you a bit in answering my questions. When you think an answer the watch will blink with possible color code. If you're thinking a wrong answer, it'll display red; if it is right then it'll blink green. The only problem is that you just have thirty seconds to answer. It will start reverse counting in the last ten seconds before giving the red if you don't answer!'

I again looked into the watch curiously although it was blank.

'Now the first question is how your mortal life was?'

What a ridiculous question? How could I rate my life? If I had to rate myself, why this judgment day test at all required? But I have to answer. Thus I started thinking. Was my life good, bad, or average? I looked at the watch. It was blinking red in every thought like good, bad, or average. Then suddenly the watch started reverse counting. I became very nervous.

'It's interesting …full of challenge' I said hastily. Then I look at the watch. It was blank for some moment and then displayed yellow.

I sighed.

 'You're intelligent,' He said smilingly, 'you just foxed the watch and avoided saying good, bad or average. By the way, it's a clarifying query, what made you give that answer?'

I again looked at the watch. But he intervened, 'It's not an official question, you can skip such clarification queries.'

I didn't answer. I thought… I lived my life as it came to me like anybody else. I neither tried anything big nor tried anything worse. I was a normal person and did whatever I felt normal. I never explored to know what was good or bad in my deeds. I just followed the way, others followed!

Then he asked the second question, 'One should be proud of his true well-wisher, who do you feel your true well-wisher?' 

Suddenly my parent's name stuck in my mind as well-wishers. I looked upon my watch. Surprisingly the watch was blinking red. What the hell? Parents are not well-wishers? Then I thought of friends, wife, kids, and many other names. Still, the watch showing red!!!

Time was passing out. I thought there must be some good-wisher otherwise how I lived so many years. The watch started blinking yellow. Then suddenly it started reverse counting. Clearly, I don't have time for further thinking.

'Yes, I have many well-wishers,' finally, I answered, 'Without well-wishers, none can survive in the mortal world.'

The watch flashed a yellow signal.

However, I have questions in me, how come, parents, relatives are not well-wishers?

The interviewer is perhaps expecting that. He said, 'Well you got a yellow again because you answered correctly but it's an incomplete answer. Let me clear one fact, parents, siblings, wife, kids, friends, etc definitely are your well-wishers, But the question was about "true" well-wisher. A true well-wisher is a selfless entity that really wishes your betterment. The characters you thought of are well-wishers but their wishes are due to their biases for you and also their interest too vested in you in some give and take relationship.'

Maybe he was right. My parents must have wished a good thing for me because I was their kid. Their good wishes might have been that I should be successful at the cost of others. But can it be considered a selfish wish? Are love and affection in the mortal world a selfish emotion?

I gave a deep insight into all my relationships. Yes, there are give and take conditions too. Parents want their children to look after them during their old age. Similarly, all other relations are based on some give and take, and factually no relation is possible without 'give and take'. Even Gods are worshiped expecting some return.

I looked at his face. It appeared to be very familiar. Where had I met him in my life… I tried to remember but somehow failed.

His expression was as if he was saying that you know me but it's unfortunate that you couldn't recall.

'Now the third question.' The interviewer was a bit serious, 'One's life is a failure if he disregards his true guide, your reaction?'

True guide? Isn't it again a bit tricky like true well-wisher? Yes! In life guidance is a must, but can anyone disregard his/her guide or say, Guru? I started recalling if I had disregarded any of my elders, teachers, or people whom I admired most. I looked into the watch. It was flat. I thought if I had ignored my guides in one way or another?…It blinked green. Was my life a complete failure?…it blinked red. That means I might have overlooked knowingly or unknowingly but I too have respected the so-called guide or guides of my life. Was my life a success? I looked into the watch, it blinked yellow. That means my life is neither a success nor a failure. But why? 

The reverse counting started. I had to answer very fast. Thus I tried to phrase my answer.

'Life has its own destiny. It's not possible that one will completely disregard his/her guide/guides always. Success and failure are part of life although guidance true or otherwise has an important role. Some might have overlooked, ignored true advice but at the same time they must have got the punishment as well during the life experiences!'

The watch remained quite for some moment and then blinked yellow. That means perhaps I was again in between right and wrong answers.

The interviewer gave me a transient look. He was visibly surprised. I don't know what made him so.

He said, 'look you got three yellows. That means you've to be absolutely right in the last question. I tell you again, there'll be no yellow in this question, either green or red. There are only two ways. The judgment will be one and only. There is no midway!'

Now I felt very uncomfortable. I'm sure I've never faced such a test in my life, I mean in my mortal life! Did I commit mistakes to be an atheist in my life? Could God help me now? But what is God again? Is the interviewer God?

I don't know why, but I felt that I have something to do with the interviewer. Definitely I know him. But who's he?

'Yes! You know me!' He suddenly said, 'You are intelligent, I'm really surprised how come you didn't recognize me yet? Anyway, you can ask any questions before I ask you the final one because once I asked, I have to leave this room. You have time to answer until I am out of the door.'

I thought for a moment, and then asked directly, 'Who are you?'

He was really shocked as he wasn't expecting that.

He stopped for a moment, and then replied, 'I am the true well-wisher and true guide to you. Also, you did disregard me many a time in your life. You always debated with me, agreed to me but often preferred to ignore me!'

I was answerless. Who was he? I started thinking of my past. He must be a friend. But, who exactly he was? Also, his answer speaks that all previous questions are related to him. Will the final question too would be related to him?

'Friend, it's time for the last question,' He looked intently at my face and then asked me 'Who exactly am I?'

He dropped the bomb repeating my question to him!!!

Who was he? The clue was given as he addressed me as a friend. Then he must be a friend, guide and a well-wisher. I looked into the watch. It was blinking green. I thought about my friends, relatives, seniors, and all others one by one. But the watch was blinking red. I was nervous. His glowing face slowly started fading with remorse. He perhaps never expected that I would fail. But my problem was none of my friend's face was matching with his. He sighed deeply and stood up and threw a helpless glance on me. I couldn't understand what to say.

He then turned towards the door.

I observed him carefully as he walked to the door. I knew that time was running out, but I suppressed the urge to check my watch. I took a deep breath and started counting in reverse under my breath. "Ten…nine…eight…seven…"

I closed my eyes. I was really pleading my inner self to save me from that judgment moment!

Suddenly the answer struck my mind. Yes, that's the answer. I opened my eyes. Tears came out from my eyes. Finally, I recognize him.

'Yes, You're ME, man! You're ME!' I shouted, 'You are my inner ME'.

He stopped.

'You're my conscience, you are my inner self, you are my inner voice. Yes, I have always debated with you on every matter. You are the true well-wisher; true guide and always warned me of consequences. I followed many of your suggestions and also ignored many suggestions driven by emotional outbursts or selfish interests.'

He turned back. He was smiling. Tears were rolling out of his eyes as well. I closed my eyes again and felt great relief and contentment. I promised myself that I'll never ever betray my conscience whatever it may cost me materialistically.

After a few moments, I remembered the watch. What was the answer?? Was it red or green? I opened my eyes and looked at it. There was neither red nor green. In fact, there was no watch at all rather there was the hospital tag!.. I was confused. I looked around.

A man wearing a green robe stood before me. 

'Congratulation…The surgery was 100% successful.' He said while giving a confident look and smiling face.

Slowly I realized that I was in the hospital. The man before me was my doctor who was supposed to perform heart surgery on me last night.