2006: Puneet Gupta

Been a long time since I updated the blog on the decade that went by. I had been thinking for quite sometime about writing on Puneet. Many a times or rather most of the times we take life for granted. We live in a eutopian world and believe that anything good, bad or ugly will not happen to us. We love to believe that....


Puneet was my cousin brother...he was 19 years old when he dissappeared from our lives. He was a damn good student. Topped his state in the boards and was studying in the 2nd year of BITS, Goa. That was the year 2006.

A class picnic on a Dussera Holiday. A bunch of kids just having fun under the watchful eyes of the college peons. He was no swimmer. So the question of him fooling around in the waves did not arise. He slipped. The sand gave away. The waves took him. He started yelling for help. There was no life guard on the shores. A classmate ran to help him. He died too. And another one too. Before he could reach the hospital, we had lost him.


It was a tough. One day he's between us and the next day he's not. How does one learn to tackle death of a near and dear one. Its so tough on the parents and the siblings. When you are 19 years old, you have so many dreams in your eyes. Of how the life is going to unfold. Of what you are going to be and achieve. Your parents have so many dreams for you. All comes to an abrupt end.


I had not met him for like close to 2 years. I regret it. I have no reasons for not meeting him. I was just too caught up in my own life in Mumbai. Well thats not an excuse. At his funeral, when I saw him lifeless, I was filled with sorrow and remorse. And wondered why him. My grandparents wailed. They were 80-85 and yet living. They cursed themselves. As to why did they have to face this day.


I regretted a lot those days. Losing a younger sibling or anyone for that matter is not easy. But sometimes, I feel that such a wonderful, talented and lovable life ended abruptly. Sometimes, when I go back home to Ahmedabad, I see a plant which he had planted in the garden or the photoframe which he had gifted my folks on their anniversary. My mom found some random scribblings. I feel proud of the person he was. Even though he is no more.


The experience didn't teach me much. Except that I regretted a lot that I didnt meet him enough. Am not very close to my extended family. But sometimes, events like this just come out of the blue and punch you in your face and make your realise that you are just one of the zillions characters in this world and anytime your role on this god forsaken planet might come to an end. And many a times, I feel its just not fair. To anyone. People should be given advance notice. So that they can finish the million things they need to do. Just so that everyone is ok. But I guess - thats life.
 
More to follow on the decade that went by....later !!!!

6 comments:

  1. If life just had reasons behind its every turns.... Its unfair!!

    But life goes on...people remain in the heart

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  2. i guess so..... life goes on...

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  3. Its been a long time that I have had time to stop by your blog.

    Its such a touching post and words are failing me right now.

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  4. thanks for dropping by :)

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  5. I just completed the book, the last lecture. The author has 6 months to live and fulfill his dreams. In the book he kept mentioning, how much little time he had to for that. All along i kept wondering, what a fool that guy was. given 10 mins before i die, i ll still do most of the things i would want to do. Express my last love to every one around me. you dont need months or days for that.

    I can understand how difficult it would have been for your family and you to have gone through this phase. The lesson i draw from here is, live everyday as if it is going to be the last day of my life.

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