Papa dont Preach

"It will haunt me to the day I join him in the burning ghat".........he spat these words like fire.

Me and my friends had gone to meet one of our classmates who lost his father to express our condolences (if only I knew how). The cause of death was unknown, little did we know that the cause was far more complicated than we could have imgained. For a little introduction of our friend, I have to add that we were and always will be utterly disgusted of him. We never thought highly of him and befriending him meant tarnishing our image in the society. But after all, we grew up together, how can you forget someone in these trying times; and fate brought us to meet him in his worst. He looked shabby, sheepishly staring at us. We thought he was sad or has gone mad.

We sat down in his study completely at loss of words. I took the courage of asking what happened to a person I met two days back , all hail and hearty. He mumbled for sometime and then said "Since you all are my childhood friends, I should tell you my father has committed suicide". His words hung on like an echo, repeating in my ear drums like a buzz. Was this really happening! Am I supposed to believe this person who never spoke a word of truth. None of us spoke, but I knew what everyone were thinking. "You killed your father".

And then the riots of advice started. Everybody who thought they were better than this wretched boy started telling him how he could render his life. His mother, who seemed half mad out of shock blamed him for his father's demise. All he did was toss and turn, I felt he wasnt even listening to any of us.

Frankly, I felt I knew him more than anybody else. Maybe he is still growing up. Isnt it biologically correct that we grow up differently? As we were almost ready to leave, he spoke "It will haunt me till I join him in the burning ghat". My friends shocked and irritated, glared at him, for being such a nuisance to himself and his family. I kept mum. What did his father teach him in the long run... to give up in trouble, to die before you could fight?

I always hear people say, "Oh he learnt it from his mother, he could talk like his father." Parents set examples, they dont give up. All this while I felt like cursing my friend, telling him he should be brave and live for his mother. But it all seemed immaterial, when he saw the man he calls his father as the biggest coward on earth. How could he leave his son and his wife in such despair?

When my friend will grow up and accomplish a task, will he be really happy? This incident will haunt him like a ghost, lurking in his happiest moments. So has he killed his father or did his father kill his son. I know I might sound very brutal and harsh for a person who gave up his life. But life is about fighting and staying with your family instead of giving up when you know you cant withstand any longer. How selfish does that sound? And if this is what our elders teach, then please "Papa dont Preach".