Peace in Darkness

I had been at my friend's home. He called me there to study with him for NET/JRF Examination. His family members were also very helpful and co-operative ones. They looked after me just like their son. My friend Ravi had one younger sister. Everyone called her -'Shreen'. She was completing her graduation in Z. B. Patil college, Dhule. She was really a studious and smart looking girl. Sometimes, I always thought to be her best friend. But, I got failure, whenever I tried to talk to her.

Once, we sat together to discuss about various issues of human life. We were five, sitting on the verandah. 'Tom, you start to tell an event which made you shocked or surprised in your life,' my friend Ravi said. My friend circle used to call me -'Tom'. Because , when we were completing our graduation, we had studied a novel entitled -Tom Jones, written by Henry Fielding. My friends matched the qualities of Tom Jones with my character. And, we had a habit of calling each friend by the names of the characters in the book. So, they gave me a new name i. e. Tom. The habits of mine were matched with the protagonist of 'Tom Jones' novel. 'Ravi, please let others share their experiences', I said. Then, everyone started to insist me to tell something. "Panku, Come on .... Share something with us", Ravi's mom insisted. I was looking at Shreen. This time, I thought Shreen would talk to me. She might have understood what I wanted to listen there. She looked into my eyes and said, 'Please, share something sir.' For the first time, someone had called me - 'Sir'. I made up my mind to share a true event.

The story was of Chandu Halwaai. He was living with his small family in our village. He had a shop of sweets in the main market of our town. Even in lockdown and in curfew period people used to visit his shop to buy some sweets. Chandu Halwaai was not so rich as other halwaais of our town. So, he all the time tried to earn enough money for living satisfactory life. Because, he had an idea that without earning money in this world, it is not possible to live. He was very hardworking person. His family members used to help him to make the sweets. One day, he started to feel some symptoms of COVID-19 . He ignored to go to hospital. In next week, his children and wife started to cough. They had a high fever. People around his house told him to go to the hospital. 'Oh Chandu, you don't have your own, but take care of those little ones. How many days will you keep them sick?', the old man in the neighborhood said. Then, he went to the hospital with his family members. There were many people who died of Corona. After seeing the dead bodies in the hospital, fear began to form in Chandu's mind. The doctor sent them for a corona test. His heart was still throbbing impetuously. The reports were brought to the doctor. Doctor told them that everyone's report was positive ... Chandu started to cry and blamed himself for the present condition of his life. They were admitted in the hospital. His two children were on oxygen. But, in few days both the children of Chandu died in front of him. His wife could not bear this shock. And, she also left this world. No one was there to help him. He was crying for help. But, nobody was listening his voice. The dead bodies of his wife and two children were taken to funeral ground where the villagers were not allowing to burn their dead bodies. But, few good people handled them and the matter was solved. The dead bodies were wrapped with plastic kit. At last, their dead bodies were burnt. After few days, Chandu started feeling better. He defeated Corona but lost everything in his life. Nothing was left behind him. He went his home. He unlocked the door... Then, he saw the faces of inhuman villagers. His eyes were full of tears. He shut the door. His life had become the part of darkness. There was no light to take him out of that darkness. I was an eye witness of that event. I started to hate myself. Because, I couldn't help Chandu Halwaai. Whenever I think of that event, I feel very sad. Ravi's mom wiped her tears and put her hands on my shoulder. 'Dear son, please don't take tension. Life and death are the parts of every human being. We are not immortal creatures. Life is nothing but a distance which we have to cover till the last moment of our life. Your heart is pure. So, don't let it to blame yourself. A good human being always thinks positively', Ravi's mom said. Shreen was still imagining the story of Chandu Halwaai. Ravi waved his hands before her eyes. Then, she came into her conscious mood. She liked my way of expressing of someone's grief. She sympathized with Chandu Halwaai. She was looking at me as if she had understood my inner feelings. After few minutes, Ravi and Ravi's father asked for dinner. And, we all the members went inside to have our dinner. Everyone was talking about Chandu's sorrowful life. Ravi's papa said, 'Pankaj, your expressions were very thought provoking ones. It was a very sad happening. If Chandu Halwaai is still living in darkness, his life can be engulfed in it.' "You are right uncle ", I replied. After having my dinner, I started to think on the sentence of Ravi's father. A question was arisen in my mind - "Can really the darkness solve the problems of those who have lost their loved ones in their life?"

Someone knocked the door of my room. I saw Shreen who approached me ... she wanted to comfort me .. but, she told me her opinion in literary language. She gave an example of a poem -'Second Coming' by W. B. Yeats an Irish poet. "Yes, you may call it as Second Coming. The second coming of God who has reappeared in the form of destroyer. He (God) is wiping out the population of this world in the form of natural and man made calamities. This pandemic is also the part of it. In the course of time the light will also be converted into darkness. And, one day we all human beings will see the dooms day which is already described in Christianity." After listening the best speech of Shreen, I did not stop myself to appreciate her wisdom. She was right. I thanked her for spending her important moments with me. I found that she was just looking into my eyes... 'Shreen,... shreen'.. Someone was calling her. May be her mother was calling her to sleep. She said good night to me and went out of my room. But, her eyes expressed a lot. I thought that the answer of my question was not far away from me. I said thanks to God for having good people in my life. It was the most beautiful night. And, it was full of darkness. The silent atmosphere was hidden in it. I must say that the whole world waits for this kind of peaceful moments.