THE FUNERAL CEREMONY

                      After the corpse was taken to burial ground, Sudeep's photo which was framed and garlanded was kept on a table. Briti, who bathed and wore white dress, lit an oil lamp and placed some flowers there. Everyone who went to burial ground came back and saw the lamp and the photo, prayed for Sudeep’s soul and left. It was announced that the funeral lunch would be held after a week days declaring seven days as mourning days. It is their custom. Some observes seven mourning days and some observes eleven mourning days. During these mourning days, the family do not cook at home. They do not go out for work. People keep on visiting them to console and strengthen them. Neighbours or relatives in the same town bring food for them. These days, they are ordering hotels to provide meals during mourning days.

   

 Everyone bathed and dressed in white. Sudeep’s mother was pale and weak. Everyone in the family looked as if they were covered by the veil of sadness. After the visitors had left, the house was occupied by silence. No one spoke to another. No one slept the whole night, except a few relatives. Everyone’s heart was beating for the answer; the very answer, how their beloved who was there with them till morning was far away from them now. Their eyes were bulged and faces became pale. Their silence frightened the silence of night, which kept on producing some noises of creatures and wind.

   Waking for a long time and had been crying since morning, their bodies became weak and hinted for rest. Slowly, Briti fell into sleep on the lap of her mother. It’s already wee hours. Her mother took her head from her lap and rested it on a pillow.

Sun had rose with many rays of hope but couldn’t bring one ray of hope from this mourning family. They all were wishy-washy about the present and the future.

              Sudeep, who dressed in white shirt and blue denims, asked Briti to come to upstairs. Briti went upstairs and astounded by seeing the well decorated terrace. There were two white chairs and a white table. A red roses-bouquet and a bottle of red wine with two glasses were placed on the table. Briti walked to the table where Sudeep was waiting. She said, “Su… Sudeep!” Sudeep uttered, "Shhhhh… Briti… Wait for a moment." Then, he went down on his knees and took a ring from his pocket and said looking into Briti’s eyes, “Briti, will you marry me? Do you love me? Please... Briti... respond. Do you accept my love? I don’t have much time, I need to go. Please tell me… Briti… Do you love me?” Briti, who was nervous and excited at the same time said by keeping her head down, not maintaining any eye contact, “Sudeep… there is a lot of time to discuss all these. I don’t know what to say.” She raised her head and saw Sudeep walking away sadly. She yelled, “Wait Sudeep... Don't go. Please wait. Sudeep… Sudeep…”

        

              Briti’s mother and Sudeep’s mother came to Briti who was sleep and asked her what had happened. Briti, who was in sleep and dreaming all these, was in ambiguity and at sixes and sevens. She was feeling that it was true and not a dream. She said, “Su..deeeep…Maa… Sudeep was here. He came and talked to me. He walked away. Where is he now?” Briti’s mother was crying and said, “Briti… Briti… Sudeep was no more. You were dreaming. Just get out of those dreams, my dear. Get out of those dreams…” Sudeep’s mother kept her hand on Briti’s head and slowly moved as if she was blessing and hugged her and cried. Briti, who was still clueless at their actions, was feeling that Sudeep really came. She went terrace running to see the decoration but was despaired after seeing an empty place with no sign of decoration.  She came down and saw the garlanded photo of Sudeep and then only recognised that what she was experienced was a dream and nothing more. She sat sadly.

           The people in that house lost their awareness of life outside. They were just bathing, mourning, sitting, having meals and again mourning. The visitors were visiting and rupturing the wound of loss with their condolences. Each day was passing on with more and more pain. Briti, along with her mother and Sudeep’s mother stopped seeing her face in mirror. Her beautiful face was now a pale one. Her curl, wavy hair was uncombed for many days and looked ugly. They didn’t have any sense on their appearance. This shows how much they were missing him.

            The next day was the seventh day, the funeral lunch. All were busy in the preparations. Funeral lunch was the ceremony where all the people who visited and paid their last respect to the corpse would visit and take meals.

        The day had started with bathing and offering prayers for the rest of Sudeep’s soul; later preparing Sudeep’s favourite dishes to offer. Guests were visiting one by one. The funeral lunch was laid down for them. Briti along with her siblings was serving the guests.  It’s been seven days since Sudeep had left the world. It was really a heartfelt situation for the family, especially, the father who never wanna experience it. Sudeep’s father was dying inside, though he was strong outside. Again the mourning was started with the visit of guests.

        Days were passing by and everything was moving on. Now the family also learned to move on with the moving time and changing days. Their routine life had started. Men and children started attending their duties and schools and colleges. Women were into cooking and taking care of their family.

How magicking the time is! It changes everyone and every moment with its magic spell.

Let’s see what happened with the moving time.