Life and Death

"Life is a comical business, and there is nothing funnier than love travelling through time. But a true master of magic can make his audience laugh and cry at the same time. Death is another story. I will never make a joke about death. It is beyond my powers. I am always alert for death. He loves to come in his country-bumpkin disguise; a comical wart that suddenly grows and grows....." - Mario Puzo....

Death is another story.... a comical wart that suddenly grows...... when i read these words, a memory flashed before me. A life, a light that was a part of my life for a little less than a year. A beam that shone and vanished without a trace.
"Its nothing dear... there was a little something in here", he said pointing at his chest.." It didn't belong there so the doctors took it out..."
I laughed..... he laughed with me.... and i turned over to the next page of Bhargava.
"So how was last week"... I hadn't seen him for over 5 days and had missed his competition in class..
"oh... i managed to drag through the days..." seeing me watch him, he added..." u c.. its difficult to even imagine a fast day when u have trouble breathing..."
My face fell... I hated to see him suffer...Seeing this perhaps he jumped up and said..."finished tomorrow's assignment?" .....

3 months after, that i recollected this conversation.. i couldn't say a word... i watched my friends sitting around me weeping.... some one's hand was on my shoulder... i looked up but couldn't see who it was.. just a blurred face. I blinked to let the tear run down. Dilip looked down and said " please anu... its OK... lets get out of here"... and i let him lead me away...

"He was a great student.. brilliant.. hardworking... inspired..."... the HOD's words were ringing inside my head...
All i could think of were his words "there was a little something in here....It didn't belong there so the doctors took it out.." I broke down all over again.....
Cancer had left nothing of Abhi but his memories with me. He had being dying for a long time. Chemo was torturing him but he didn't let it be known to others. He fought it silently, bravely. Even as his lung cancer ate away his youth, hidden behind his wheezing problems, with barely enough attendance in class to let him write his university exams, he still had as much marks as i did.
"a comical wart that suddenly grows".... i don't see anything comical...... just horrendous.... it took the life of a talented boy... a loving son and a caring friend...
It has been 4 years since his last smile was seen or his brilliant thoughts were heard of in Rajagiri but we all remember him as a guy whose likes never crossed our lives ever again.
He lives in our memories.. unhindered by death......