When I died for a day!

Image: istock

It was an hour past midnight. As usual, my friend working her night shifts called me. And as always, I was awake enough to know that it was her and asleep enough to click that green button. I tossed and turned under my heavy blanket and slept again. As the Sun's rays kissed my eyelids, passionately, I rose from my bed. After those lazy stretches, I turned back to look at the time; it was 8:30. But, to my surprise, as I turned my eyes away from the clock, I noticed someone lying on my bed, under my blanket! Alas! I sleep alone! And who is this? I slowly went near that person and said a feeble, “Hello?”

The person was facing away from me and did not hear me. I went to the other side of the bed and I was terrified. It was myself under that blanket.

“Amma!” I yelled.

But no one came to help.

I called out for help again. But in vain.

Picking up courage, I tried touching the ‘asleep me’ but my hands passed through that body.

A second later, I noticed my phone ringing. It was amma. Assuming that she had heard my cries for help, I tried picking up the phone. Unfortunately, my hands passed through my phone too. I could see things around me, but I couldn’t feel any of them.

Around 12 PM, I heard mom knocking at the door. To open the door, I had to hold that bolt and ‘touching’ was not a part of my day now.

I sat there, near my body, waiting for a solution.

Two hours later, I heard commotions outside the door. Someone was trying to break the door open. My body didn’t know all this, it was asleep, calm and composed.

Tadaaa!!!

The door was wide open now. There were too many people wearing masks and a few moments later they gathered near my body while I waited aside to know what’s wrong. They lifted my body as I could hear cries from all sides of the room. My body was moved on the car which I had used for the past ten years now.

I also realised that I was invisible to the rest of the world. I waited outside my house as hours passed. A few moments later, I saw an ambulance approaching. “There were no Corona cases recently. And where is this ambulance coming from?” I thought. As the door of the ambulance was wide open, I saw a body wrapped in white. Yes! It was my body! My soul had separated from my body that morning, but it was continuing its regular life. I quickly rushed to my room. I stood adjacent to my life-size mirror. But no! I wasn’t there. I could only see the swing behind me through that mirror. Sadly, I realised that I was dead! Tears gushed down my eyes. “I haven’t seen the full of me yet and this…. This was too early.” I rushed downstairs.

My body was placed at the centre of our hall. The diya lit above my head. Cotton stuffed on my nostrils. A thin piece of cloth tied around my toes. I could see the flames of agarbathis all round. Of course, I am dead now. How could I smell the agarbathi? I can only see them. A small housefly moved along my long eyebrows. I guess it has mistaken it for a maze! It played happily on my face while I saw my mom cry on one end of the room and dad stayed on the other end holding back his tears. Getting e-passes wasn’t easy and hence my sister hadn’t reached yet.

My friends had gathered too. I had longed to see them since the lockdown, but, I didn’t want it this way. I heard someone say, “She died a peaceful death!”

“But wasn’t that too early, uncle?” I asked knowing the fact that I wasn’t heard!

A few strangers came in after some time. They had come to take me to the cremation centre. No, I repeat. They had come to take my ‘body’ to the cremation centre.

This was my last chance. Gandhiji’s DO OR DIE made a lot of sense now. Either, I should get back to my body soon or…. You know what I mean! I tried to lie over my body. I took a deep breath and tried to feel those palm and toes. My eyes were shut tight. I tried pressing my soul, into my body using all my strength. I was exhausted. As I opened my eyes, I saw them lift my body. I realised that I have failed miserably. I rushed towards them. I tried talking to each one of them begging for a chance. But with a plain face, they stepped on me and proceeded to that ambulance. Helpless, I started crying. I had cried a few moments back looking at the mirror, but I couldn’t feel those tears then. But now, I felt them rolling down my cheeks. Yes! I was feeling it! Finally! And a moment later, from a distance, I could hear my phone, it was getting louder and louder as my ears continued to get hurt by the noise. And damn!!! It was my alarm! And the series of incidents mentioned above was just a dream! And around 8:30 I switched off my alarm ‘lifting’ up my phone and wiping my tears which had actually rolled down my cheeks during that dream or nightmare or whatever you wish to call it!