THE LAST SUPPER

                                Shree Koraga Thaniya Mahalingeshwara Temple

          Bemoaned hapless Avinash knelt whining before the holy statuette of Deity Koraga whimpering at the monstrosities he had to pass through and ambivalent of incorrigibles- what he actually had to do. Now, other than to confess and capitulate towards hermitic aroma, he had no way out. He knelt before the sanctum of the deity and prostrated his completely shaved head and started shedding the cascades of regretful tears in despondency...

                                                     Pardon me, O Lord!!

          Neither you're unaware of what the hell I was going through nor your mercies are limited to bestow upon we the sinners; But, I am sure I can never pardon myself even if you forgive me...

          It was the very first time, since graduation I had tranquil leisure and fresh air to breath- with certain nasty stench creating the arena of nausea. Yea... the river was full of faeces, straw, buffalo carrion, soggy parts of human bodies, and different kinds of industrial acids. I was saddened on one side and was delighted on the other; delighted being the visitor of the sacred river flowing down to Hindu Maha Sagar! I remember going down the steps of a downhill road in the holy city, at the rear of a funeral procession carrying my father's corpse to the funeral scaffold.

          His holiness – Punditji, perspicacious scholar of seven knowledge of religion, was leading the funeral procession, escorted by his collegial clergymen. Sly old Clergy Punditji directed the family men to lay the body of my father in euphoric slumber on the cane bed which bore the corpses. His body was wrapped in a white cotton cloth from head to toe, which was enveloped with the rose petals and jasmine garlands. I don't think he had ever had such a fine thing to wear in his entire excursion of life.

          Gathering chanted "Shivji's name is the truth! Ramji's name is the truth!" in chorus, bitterly shedding tears. But, I can guarantee that the entire gathering was shedding their crocodile's tears; except one- My Mother Bhanumati, in white cotton saree.

          'Avi, set your father on fire!' Punditji instructed me. I did as instructed. '...the only truth!' echoed in rhythm in the atmosphere.

          Then there was a gigantic noise: firewood being split. As the fire started eating the corpse voraciously, a pale palm jerked out, making us realize that the richest man takes nothing to his final abode! The rest of the body, which was melting in the heat, began to curl up, offering resistance to what was being done to them. Punditji shoved the palm into the fire back. My father, the richest man of our village on the banks of Arabian Sea, left everything behind. Not a single penny he earned came to rescue him from the angel of death. Truly, the Ode to Nightingale sang the bitter truth of our lives:

                                      Darkling I listen; and, for many a time

                                      I have been half in love with easeful Death,

                                     Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme,

                                     To take into the air my quiet breath;

                                     Now more than ever seems it rich to die,

                                    To cease upon the midnight with no pain... 

          A wooden platform had been built by the edge of the ghat, just above the water; logs were piled up on the platform, and men with axes were smashing the logs. Underneath the platform chunks of wood were being built into funeral pyres on the steps of the ghat that went down into the water; six bodies in row were burning on the ghat steps when my father's body was burning. Entire gathering was robed in the PPE kit, as there was danger of spreading of Corona Virus!

                                                            COVID 19

                                        (Novel Corona Virus 2019-nCoV)

          A name - provided by the International Classification of Diseases - that petrified the entire world, trapped the mankind into the sanctuary of solitude, and kicked the graveyard parade start off. People, in crowd, disappeared behind the curtains of time forever; leaving behind the brethren, wealth and the lifetime gathering. To gather the worldly gains to which the man toiled day and night, never helped him during the sensitive pandemic. The COVID-19 Virus was a new virus linked to the same family of viruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and some types of common cold. Five most common post-covid conditions across all ages were:

                                        1.    Pain

                                        2.    Breathing Difficulties

                                        3.    Hyperlipidemia

                                        4.    Malaise and Fatigue

                                        5.    Hypertension

          ...were among the top condition among the paediatric population. But past few days, as you know my Lord, my father had difficulty in breathing and fatigue. Neglecting the common illness, he didn't mind in ignoring to consult the doctor. My mother rustled up a bowl of vegetable soup with two boiled eggs and served him. He dined the soup with eggs ravenously and rested in his air-conditioned bedroom soundly and breathed his last unexpected. No matter how the odyssey of life might be, but the end phase of the excursion is always the unpredicted. So, my father end phase was!

          As the news of demise struck the eardrums of The Manager and The Management Team of The Great Bank of India, the said team realizing that I had loaned enormously for my hotel business over his home in village, the bank ceased the home:

                                                  PHYSICAL POSSESSION OF

                                                  THIS PROPERTY IS TAKEN

                              ON 02 NOV 2020 BY THE GREAT BANK OF INDIA,

                                                     RACPC BANGALORE

                                        TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED

                              Contact: 080-2449239/40 Sd/- Authorised Officer

          A label was applied on the door of the home. My helpless mother didn't attempt to utter even a single word. Being her alone offspring, I decided to pack her bag bring her here in Bangalore; So that she can live rest of her remaining life with me, my cute wife-Pinky and my chubby son- Rahul. Even the old women here in our neighbourhood gathers every evening at the colony garden and chitchat about their past and relaxes themselves in the fresh air. My mother too could join them and enjoy herself in their company. Henceforth, that evening we packed our luggage and left our village; bidding teary au revoir to those unpaved kutcha roads and reached congested circuitous roads of Bangalore.

          As my mother's lotus feet stepped into the entrance of our flat in our apartment, 'Galaxy Apartments', the flooding smile on Pinky's face vanished. I made a bed for my mother in Rahul's bedroom. That night, she slept peacefully and I strongly believe that it was the last night she had her sound sleep. Next morning, as Pinky bought my morning coffee, my mother came to me and placed the doctor's prescription before me, and requested to get her medicines:

                                                       Thérèse of Lisieux Pharmacy

                                              1.      Bepridil Tabs            100 mg        1-0-1

                                              2.      Felodipine                100 mg        1-0-1

                                              3.      Ozempic                   0.5 mg         1-1-1

                                              4.      Restyl                      0.25 mg        0-0-1

           

          The wide spread chain of Thérèse of Lisieux pharmacy has one of its branch at the ground floor of our apartment. I could get her medicines within the blink of an eye.

          'Avi, have your coffee first' pinky ordered me before my mother.

          The scintillating brightness on my mother's face contrasted and her crestfallen face began demonstrating her helplessness. But, I didn't care her words. I returned within few blinks of the eye with her medicines. Pinky's Vexation raised and she didn't even mind to lock herself in our bedroom without serving us breakfast. Then my mother herself, on the very first day of her widow life, went to kitchen and laid table for me and Rahul- the bread, butter, fruits, juice, and milk for Rahul. I made the tea for myself and to my mother. Though, I had the breakfast with my mother cheery, but she lacked a sense of affinity and she wanted someone to embrace her heartily.

          That day, Pinky didn't even cook the lunch. She ordered food at an online website: (http//:www.zomato.com). She ordered Veg Pulao, Paneer Tikka, boiled eggs, Raitha, Coke, pancake, and two Lime Teas. My mother, who had boiled rice with fish curry for lunch throughout her life, had nothing to dine with satisfaction. Above it, as the food got delivered, Pinky unpacked her food and began eating it esuriently. My mother, who was reciting holy verses of sacred scripture in Rahul's bedroom, didn't even know about the lunch. When the time was done, she went to kitchen in search of lunch. When she found nothing, she went to our bedroom and asked for lunch to Pinky. Pinky, without even lifting her eyes from the smart phone, said, 'The lunch is on the table'.

          My mother unwrapped the food and had her lunch alone. These things never seemed to cease an end, and I couldn't understand what the hell was happening in our home. I was trapped between the devils and deep sea.

          It was my mother's fifteenth day in our flat in Bangalore. Pinky had thrown a kitty party in our flat. I was busy in my restaurant and was unaware about the happenings in our home. Pinky's friends gathered in my flat and started cheering the toast. Mock-tails, juices, chips, fruits, fries, biscuits, burgers, sandwiches, wedges, and nuggets were spread on our wide table. Beats of music was rocking the flat, and the women flaunted their fine waists and bounced their breasts to the music. My mother secretly gaped at the shamelessness happening in our homes, without uttering a word. Though, the lunch time passed away, Pinky didn't even thought of serving lunch for my mother. She repeated the holy phrases, turning the beads from her string.

          My mother suffered from asthma. That day, there was renovation work being done in our neighbouring flat. The smoke aroused from the renovation caused breathing problem to my mother and she began coughing uninterruptedly. The irregular coughs disturbed the peaceful kitty party and few friends began complaining Pinky about the coughs.

          'Why won't this dry boned oldie die?' Pinky cried and started staggering towards my mother staggering - like a valiant knight on a sturdy steed – escorted by her friends.

          'What enmity do you've against me? Why are you harassing me with your coughs and insulting me before my friends?' Pinky darted the arrows of questions at my mother.

          The inhaler was kept at the study table of Rahul. Pinky, instead of giving the inhaler to my mother, humiliated her before the guests. Crestfallen mother slowly walked to the bathroom. I strongly believe that she went into bathroom to shed the woeful tears.

          That night, we had our dinner silently without anything unusual. After dinner, when I went to my mother, she said, 'Take Care of yourself, Son!'

          'Sure maa' I replied without understanding anything.

          Usually, my mother wakes before the crowing of the rooster; but, next day though the digital clock read 7:30 a.m., she didn't leave her bed. Astonished I tried to wake her up again and again. When I stepped ahead to shake her, her pale hand dropped down the bed lifeless. She had already stopped breathing.

          'Sigh!'

          But, there was something unusual beneath her pillow – A handwritten Letter!

          It read:

          Beta,

              One or the other day, one has to leave this materialistic world; willingly or unwillingly.

         Your father left this world, unpredictably. But, now there's worth in neither my living nor dying.

         I had great time with Pinky and Rahul. Now, the destiny has pointed its index finger at me and said,

                  'Time's up, Bhanu!' 

        Take Care of your Family. Thank You!

          But the thing that depleted the peace of my mind, O Lord, was empty strip of 'Restyl' – the sleeping pills, was kept on the table.

                                         Pardon me, O Lord!! Pardon me, O Lord!!