While I visited the Pashupatinath temple, and crossed the Aryaghat, it gave me chills as it always does; thinking about how we are already cloaked in the mantle of mortal body. We all know it. A person does not exist always, and soon she or he is remembered in name only. At every point in a person’s life, there exists a universal principle that all living things inevitably die. It is only a matter of time when the journey ends. Some experience a short span in the world, while others are fortunate to live for a long time.

 The feeling of losing the closest one is unbearable. We are shattered as we lose faith and hope in everything around us. Through the passage of time, pain is healed and we get back on track. But the memories and bondage always stay alive. During those times when it is very difficult to let go of the memories, we are reminded by the universe that our life is not in our control. The message is there, loud and clear, that we need to make the most use of our time when we have it.

Human mind is such that it wants to forget relations easily if it hurts you. Everybody wants to get back sooner to the normal. Life is all about moving on and finding a fresh new start. The loss of a person cannot be understood by anyone else except the one who lost. The closeness, bond and love for the other person stay for a longer time and we wish that the lost one comes back to us one last time.

There are a few lucky ones who do not die in suffering. With so many diseases, health problems and microbes spreading around, one needs to take precaution. Even if there is a cure and medical examinations that detect the reason for the pain, taking medicines and going through the entire process of treatment become torturous. One cannot skip and reach the dead end even if they wish to. Death is destined. A famous phrase taken from the Bible can be juxtaposed with the process of a Hindu funeral service wherein the jar of ash is disposed and all remains of the individual are lost: “Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust.” It may be fitting here to remember the great message that Leo Tolstoy left us with – “All the land that a man needs is a six-foot long grave.”

Shikha is a Chartered Accountant and Client Servicing Executive at JWT Thompson Nepal, Durbar Marg.