Remembering The One Who Made My Life Worth Living – OpE

Life is an examination and the world is an exam hall. While we focus a lot on life, but the ultimate reality is everyone has to leave the world one day- some sooner, others later. And though we may not realise it but the harsh fact is that life is too short. While people come and go, there are but a few people who make way to the extraordinary in life. I was lucky enough to be born in a family that may not have been rolling in wealth but didn’t have any major financial problems. As I grew up, I learned things and tried to become a useful member of society.

I had a blessed childhood and a blessed family too, but even though content, but one still needs a partner in life. One may have everything, but yet can never be self-sufficient enough to drive the vehicle of life alone. One cannot ignore the fact that marriage is the union of two souls into a single soul- an arrangement that makes the journey called life much more fulfilling and easier. Neither can I, because I lived life (or rather the best of life), with that person who was laid to rest on 22 November 2012. She was none other than my soul mate, my life partner, my dawn and my dusk. The best of the life is what I had with her.

She was stricken by blood cancer in the middle of life and despite the treatment and the due care, she separated from all of us. She left us for a world where there are no worries, no pain, materialism or needs. She was a very pious lady and despite being afflicted with cancer and knowing very well that it’s non-curable, she never complained or lost faith in Allah’s benevolence. We may not have been very rich, but this did not curtail her philanthropy. Her piety and concern for the less privileged taught me one of the most important things in life- that for being good and helpful one requires a strong will and not a heavy purse!

She was my pillar of strength and it was her support that gave me the inner strength to overcome every hardship that came my way. She must certainly be having her own problems, but she never bothered me and remained my constant and faithful companion in every moment of tribulation. She was not just my life partner; she was more of a teacher to me- a gentle mentor who taught me important lessons of life. I cannot exactly describe what she was to me but I can say for sure that she gave me a reason to live, a reason to smile, a reason to sustain and a reason to survive. She was an ideal soul mate!

Our 18 year-long relationship may have been cut short by destiny, but her memories live on. When she was diagnosed with cancer, instead of me comforting her, it was she who kept reassuring me and despite her deteriorating health, kept smiling. It was during her final days when despite the pain and being fully aware of her impending end, her calm and composed demeanour, taught me the most valuable lesson of life-that one never loses until one gives up and accepts defeat.

When she passed away, I was shattered and lost all interest in Life. But the thought that seeing me in this state would upset her to no end, I resolved to practice what she through her personal example had taught me. Eight years have gone by since she left me and even though I continue to miss her immensely, her memories and zest for life reinvigorates me to boldly face the challenges life throws up. With the passage of time, I have stopped blaming God for having taken her away from me so soon and on the contrary, I thank the Almighty for having given me a friend, philosopher and guide who made my life worth living.

So, even though she may not be not with us today, but she very much remains within me and will continue to do so till I join her in her heavenly abode!