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Clad in all white sari, all hairs white she used to appear once in six months

my great grand ma. She was mother of my paternal grand mother. Her family

was located at a place called 'bali' which was some 20 kilometers away from

here. We used to call her 'baro ma from bali'. Seeing her coming slowly on the

broken roads of our lane we would run towards her. She would embrace us .

Behind her thick glass her small face would lit up in our presence. Then after

opening her bag she would give us chocolates. We knew that her bags contain

many more tasty dishes but that were to come later thru' mom or grand-ma.

Baro-ma's sister was living in our locality. They had a big family & a very big

house just next to our lane. Baro-ma used to lodge to their house and my

grand-ma would go there to meet her. My grand ma was her only daughter.

As my memory recalls - in the long afternoon 'Baro-ma' and her sister would

be talking and my grand-ma would be sitting near 'Baro-ma'.

As per the relation both 'Baro-ma' and her sister are great grand ma to us but

'Baro-ma from bali' was very special.

Pocket money was a term which was never known to us but it was 'baro-ma frobali' who pampered us with pocket money.

After staying for couple of weeks she would go back. We all brothers & sisters

along with all cousins would go to the bus stand to see her off. She would kiss

us on our head before getting into the bus. From the bus she would wave her

hands one last time and we would cheer her to come again soon. After she goes

,grand ma would remain little dejected for couple of days then slowly she

would become normal and shouting grand-ma again.

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This was going on for couple of years then one winter she came but could

never go back. She fell ill and after a brief suffering she died at the age of 94.

That was my first encounter with death. At her deathbed my grand-ma called

and told me to pour water in her mouth with a small spoon. She was lookingvery calm and peace full with eyes half open. Most of the water spilled from

her mouth. All her relatives were sitting close to her deathbed. Her sister and

my grand ma were holding her hand in their and hands.

Slowly her eyes closed and all sign of life faded from her body. My grand ma

suddenly started crying very loudly while all other relatives started crying with

my grand ma.

Doctor Bhowmik appeared and after checking her declared she had died. So

calm and peaceful yet glorious death I've never seen in my life. The sun has

just risen above horizon and in the first rays of Sun her small face looked very

distant and heavenly.

The funeral possession left our lane at around 10'O clock. I was too small to be

considered for going to the funeral pyre which was 6 kilometers away on the

bank of river Ganges. I asked my elder brother how the funeral was. He said'baro-ma's little body burnt to ashes in no time. We could not just believe that

'baro-ma' was no more in this physical world and no one would come from

'bali' again to hug us with her thin & feeble hands.

Today after so many years when I look back I find that time people of 'baro-

ma's nature were mostly calm and peaceful. They had less or no ambition so

they had less tension in life and their passing away was so glorious amidst all

friends and relatives. Today rarely people can live so long & die so peacefully

yet so gloriously.

For living a peaceful life certainly less ambition has a major part to play but to

make life rich & big certain amount of ambition is essential but with ambition

comes many bane of life tension being one of them.

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I wonder if we could really wine over both ambition & tension ever in our

modern life.

Howrah

S. Bera