(Narrated by the son)

“With COVID19 rocking the core of many, many Indian households, I saw it take away a piece of my universe too, earlier this April. The man in frame is my late father- all of 85 years with a striking personality that’s often hard to forget. With the onset of seniority, I knew somewhere that my time with him was limited, though he was hale and perfectly healthy, throughout!

But the pandemic, of course, had its own ways of leeching even into well-isolated homes and that’s exactly what happened in ours.
My father who was partially vaccinated, caught on to a coughing fit from nowhere before ultimately succumbing to breathing failure!
What’s worse was seeing his chapter come to an aching close, all within a week!

Now if I am honest, I haven’t still fully processed his passing. I did want him relieved of all the pain, but definitely not the manner that unfolded! And what’s funnier, is though I’ve been preparing my mind all these years for this very moment, when reality struck, it felt like a fresh jab in the gut! I guess it takes a major loss to realize that the most powerful player in all existence is time!

So, with scenarios turning topsy turvy, my immediate response, like most adults, was to submerge myself with work; but distractions are never nearly a good way to surpass testing times, are they? It felt like I was in a constant state of limbo- trying to hold up together, a tough exterior in front of the family, whilst shedding a silent tear whenever I saw my mother’s eyes.

One moment while the weight of my world puts me out there in a seemingly normal environment, I come back every day to see her once joy-filled face, now flooded with tears at every small trigger. And as a son, all I can wish, is for time to give her a sense of hope- of a better tomorrow and happier days ahead. As for my father, I’m sure he’s uplifting spirits with his chirpy personality, wherever he is!”