Two fathers … Gone :(

Two fathers left the Earth in the past week… One while standing with his daughter to take her to school, for the very first time. The second on the day, he was to be discharged :(.

Both deaths were untimely and reflected the times we live in. The first father was a surgeon and he was taking his young daughter to school for the first time. A bus driver coming in the wrong lane ran over the unsuspecting father and daughter …. The father a cardiac surgeon, who probably had saved countless lives and would have saved more, but lost forever. And in the world we live in, the driver got bail in a couple of hours !! Is there a bail for pain ? For the deep wound he left on the mother and the surviving sibling ?

Nirbhaya’s case brought people to the streets and forced the government to atleast do some token legislation against rape. Will we protest against wrong driving, jumping red lights, drunken driving ? They cause death and after effects that are just as painful as rape :(:(

The second father left the Earth a proud man … We did not know him, but we know his son and Ashish, through you we know your father was a wonderful man. You reflect his values and the “never say die” spirit. We are certain that he went smiling, because not many parents have a son like you, who fought for his life every day in the past eleven months !! Ironically, the cardiac surgeon practised in the same hospital that botched up your dad’s surgery that ultimately led to his passing away. But place no blame on yourself … Because death is an individual decision that the soul takes and all we can do is just respect that decision. Know that your father feels proud of you and holds you dear because he knows how hard you tried to bring him back. He certainly has no regrets.

Death is not final and life is not certain, we just need to treat the two as revolving doors… But it’s so tough for those who live on the side of life, the special memories, the times when you cannot pick up the phone and ask your dad for help, advice or just chat with him. It’s unfair to make dads and mums so special, role models, friends, agony aunts, pillar of strength and unconditional love, all rolled into one human being !! And then when they leave, it’s just a vacuum no one else fills.

Ashish, you will never stop missing your father in flesh and blood but trust me, he is around in spirit and he isn’t going anywhere else. For the surgeon and his surviving child, I just hope the child learns to recognize that spirit. May both the fathers’ souls rest in peace and may they remain near their children to imbue them with their spirit and be their guide.