By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Figuratively the Death came on cat’s feet before my eyes to meet my rickshawpuller the other day and left me stunned and horrified for the whole day. I kept thinking about the concept of life and death, about the certainty of death and uncertainty of its timing.
It was 9:45 am on Saturday. I took a rickshaw to reach the nearest bank ATM – about 2 kms from my residence in Jamia Nagar. On the way the rickshawpuller, a poor chap in early 30s, picked another passenger – sharing rickshaw is normal in Delhi. The co-passenger got down mid-way. Around 10 am I was at my destination – the Indian Bank ATM kiosk inside the Jamia Millia campus. I asked him to wait for five minutes so that I could return home on the same rickshaw. How could I have imagined that I would never meet him again?
There was no queue at the ATM, so it took me barely one and half minutes. When I returned I found him lying on the road almost motionless, breathing a bit with a dozen of people around him trying their bid to help him out – someone sprinkling water on his face. Before people could understand what happened to him he was gone in next five minutes. Never to return. I remained speechless for a moment thinking about the reality of life.
It were only one and half minutes when the Angel of Death sneaked in to take him out of the worldly life. I owe the man Rs 10 as fare. I owe the man much much more as in death he shattered my dreams – for my present and future – I was living in.
May God give peace to his soul!