Kaphan

Often in our life journey we tend to forget to express our love and concern for others. Once people are no more, we start thinking and regretting that we could express our unexpressed love and concern for them. The pity with
us is that we don’t feel them when they are in and around us.

We have seen people who are deeply mourning over their near and dear one’s death, but having failed to take care of the deceased during his earthly sojourn. Often we mourn on our near and dear one’s death because the custom of the land demands that. 

Does it always come so natural to us? It is not anything coming out of our love for him. We often do it because we are bothered that what people in the society would think about us, if we do not mourn.

Once the person is dead, we show all kinds of respect. We speak only nice about him. We make him wear good dresses, shoes and get a beautiful and expensive coffin. We weep and mourn a lot on his demise, shed so much of tears, give him kisses. Decorate him with flowers and so much of perfume and talc are applied. Photos and video graphs are taken. We get his obituary written with full of attributes and published in newspapers.   

But remember how he was treated when he was alive. Have we ever said anything good about him? Did we ever get him good dress while he was wearing all torn ones? Perhaps he would not have even worn a sandal in his whole lifetime. Have we ever cried for him, ever shed our tears and given him an embrace with so much of warmth and given him kisses when he wanted them???? We need photo and video graphs taken for his memories otherwise we would not be remembering him later at all.

Why then we do it all to the dead body of the person. Is it not hypocrisy? Are not we hypocrite? We fail to take care of him when he walked on this planet of earth in flesh and blood.

I don’t deny the fact that dead body should not be respected. It should be respected, and buried or cremated with so much of respect because that is the last tribute to the person. However, the point I am trying to arrive at, is the person should be loved, respected and cared for so much when they live than when he is dead.   

Today I am right in front of you in flesh and blood. If you have any love and concern for me express them right now. Don’t express them when I am dead and gone tomorrow, because my dead body can’t feel your warmth, love and concern that you had for me. So please do express them before it is too late.  

(Inspired by Premchand’s story lilted Kaphan, which means Shroud)

(Photo courtesy to Google)