My wife’s grandmother passed away - on 30th March 2009. I always called her grand mother, though I am technically incorrect. She had always been so - for me.
Our acquaintance began when I and my wife started to do combined studies at her place during our college days. I admired her compassion and devotion to her beliefs. She was very energetic for a lady of her age, and she knew exactly how much portion of rice I ate in my lunch. I am blessed to have been fed by incredible women like her.
I have seen her going strong just with water alone for a week or so. She had visited Varanasi, and she couldn’t get home cooked food. She wouldn’t eat in a hotel outside - she went hungry! All she wanted was to get darshan of the holy god, and she trusted him to take care of the rest. I sometimes wonder what it takes to be so strong in one’s convictions. She took a month to recover from this toil after returning back, but - she never compromised on her convictions.
It will be 2 years of our marriage very shortly, and she has lived with us for most of the time. They say prayers and chanting of mantras creates a holy atmosphere. I have felt it. Her body has been nothing but bones for almost an year now, but she woke up early in the morning everyday. And after her bath, she worshiped and repeated verses from many holy books without fail. She would read Mahabharatha and Bhagavadgeeta everyday.
She used to await my return every evening. Thanks to our office cab, and only occassional jams on the mysore road - I came home almost everyday at the same time. The watch clocked 6:35 p.m, but for her I always returned back within few minutes of starting “Baduku” - Kannada TV Soap Series. She would ask everybody if I didn’t come back in time. She would say proudly to our relatives, that I am the “Son” of the house and not the son-in-law.
I used to bring her the banana for her day, every night , without fail (from the kitchen :P ). Recently, she had taken to drinking small cup of warm water with honey in the nights to aid her in sleeping better. I was gladly helping her with it. Unlike most of the old people I have seen, she never grumbled. She never complained, and never spoke much. She would share stories from her village and the good of old ages with me. She liked the old times, but took the new in her stride all the same.
Her strength had declined over the past month or two. I left for the US a few weeks back, and that was the last I saw her. She fell on her way back from the bath room a couple of days after that and that made her very very weak. One has to be blessed to die without suffering or illness. Its very humbling and revealing to see how a natural death occurs. The flesh in the body will vanish - on its own. Your body will become smaller and smaller - like a child - just the way you started.
There was something very peaceful about her, both in her life and death. She died in her bed, about 12:30-12:45 on the night of Monday , 31 March. My parents and inlaws were there near her when she left. They saw how life raises above and beyond the clutches of human body and vanishes into the unknown along with the last breath. Unfortunately, I was not there when she died. My mom said, that there was no suffering, shock, unhappiness or worries in the room. There was peace, and a silent admiration for her.
Her eyes were donated shortly after her death.
She lived a ripe age - a life of simplicity, piousness and a life of values and examples. She served her purpose here and left in peace. My heart is filled with admiration, calm and peace while writing this. For those who have read the “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” - she left for another level of understanding.
Dear Grandma, goodbye and have a good trip!