The last journey over laddoos

 

The other day, Balbir ki bahu, a poor woman on the socio-economic hierarchy, died. In patriarchy, you are mostly known as someone’s wife. Very few people know a woman’s real name. She was suffering and prematurely aged beyond her years. But then something rich happened during her last journey. As her arthi passed on the road on the way to the cremation ground, a sweets-laden tempo of a sweet-maker goofed it up. Trays of freshly prepared laddoos went falling in a line along the way. She went floating over the laddoos. Laddoos in place of flowers isn’t a bad bargain. Many dogs felt grateful as they feasted upon the chancy offering.

Before setting her onto the last lag in the journey, i.e., setting fire to the pyre, it was observed that her gold nose-stud was still in her occupation. Her son tried to salvage the last worldly possession but it won’t come off. He pulled very hard but the skin on the old woman’s proud nose stood ground. He had to leave it. Maybe she loved her nose-stud and carried it with her to the other world.