LAST RITES
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LAST RITES

LAST RITES:
True secularism is universal
(A Short Story by Dr Sivaram Hariharan)


Sunday 9.30PM Delhi

The living room telephone rang shrilly and Michael Aarokyaraaj hurried across from his verandah to pick up the phone.   He was just relaxing after a long session of bible school at his church (he held bible school for little children every Sunday evening).  ‘Who could this be,’ he wondered as he said hello.  


‘Murugan, it is amma-da,’ it was his mother Maragatham on the phone.
‘Before you say anything amma, I have to remind you for the umpteenth time that I’m NOT Murugan anymore, I’m Michaeal.  Murugan does not exist anymore, at least for me.’
‘Oh, I forgot son..Michael, that you do not like your real name.  Anyways this is of minor importance now given that your father’s condition has worsened. Dr. Tamilselvan, our family doctor, tells us that it will be all over within the next 24 hour.’
‘Why are you telling me this amma.  You know that I and father do not exist for each other for the past few years.’
‘No no son, your appa is really longing to see you for one last time. He says he has got no hard feelings anymore.  Past is past son. So please start immediately for Chennai.  He is conscious by God’s grace even though he is sinking and doctor says that he will inevitably lose consciousness in another 10 hours time.’
‘I don’t have the heart to come there amma. Some wounds are too deep and raw. I’ll pray for him here.’
‘Don’t say that son. What if he passes away? As the only son, you have to perform the last rites according to our Hindu traditions.’

‘Not our traditions amma, just yours and certainly not mine and NEVER will be.  You very well know how I do not believe in all these heathen and pagan rituals.  I’ll certainly pray to my one and only true lord in heaven for appa’s welfare.  If the inevitable does happen, please ask cousin Senthil to perform the last rites according to your Hindu traditions.  We all know how close he was to appa.’


‘Don’t speak like that son, have a heart for my sake if not for appa’s sake,’ Maragatham broke down sobbing.

Michael silently hung up the phone and headed back to his stool on the verandah.  Two years back, he had fallen in love with a Christian girl at college and had to accept the religion as a condition for marriage, which was to take place later this year.  And in these two years, his faith had also become firmer and almost bordering on a fanatical zeal to Christ.  But all that came at a huge personal cost.  The subsequent fallout with his staunch Hindu appa, Aarokyaraaj Pillai, and consequential separation from his family was indeed a bitter one.  Michael had then made a vow that he would have nothing to with his family anymore, especially his father.   The telephone rang shrilly a few more times but Micheal did not bother to answer it.



Monday 12.15AM Delhi

Micheal woke up with a start on his bed.  His sleep had been disturbed and moreover he had just seen a vivid dream.  In the dream, he had seen the smiling face of his appa and then also saw the holy cross shining in the background.  ‘Was this a sign from the Lord,’ he wondered for a while.  And try as he might, he could not sleep after that.

Monday 8.30AM Chennai

A harried looking Michael walked out of the Chennai domestic airport and hurriedly waved for a cab.  Within 30 minutes, he was at home to pleasantly surprise his family and most of all, his mother, who bawled out and hugged him with unabashed joy.  His appa was still holding on in spite of his condition considerably worsening over the night.   Michael walked straight to his father's bed.
'Appa, I'm here your Murugan,' Michael held his father's palms tightly.  With great difficulty, Aarokyaraaj opened his eyes and the tears started streaming down his face. 'Son Muruga, you are here finally with me.  Now I can die in peace aandavane,' he pulled his son closer.

'Appa do not speak of dying.  Your Lord Narayana is with us all the time and he will see you through this.'


'It is inevitable son.  I already feel it coming and the doctors have also confirmed it. But what I want to tell you mainly is that I have no issues against you son. I respect your choice and this I say it with my full heart. And please forgive me for the harsh words spoken in the past.'
'No appa. In fact please forgive me as I have also spoken harsh words to you in ignorance.'
'Let bygones be bygones son.  I just want to ask you a big favor son.'
'Your wish is my command appa.'

'After I pass away, please do all the final rites in the Hindu tradition of our ancestors.  I know that your present religious views and beliefs are not compatible with this.  But please discharge this duty as a son and do the same for your amma when her time comes. Of course, I'm not in anyways asking you to revert back to the religion of your ancestors. Just treat this as a dying man's last wish.  Even criminals facing the gallows have their reasonable wishes catered to.  So would you please accommodate my wishes Murugan?'


'In fact, I wanted to tell you appa that I have completely changed my viewpoint in this regard.  All these days, I was very foolish and ignorant to deny the great Hindu heritage of my ancestors, which is a very ancient, proud, and rich heritage indeed.  And now I realize that Hinduism is a very great and more importantly a very tolerant faith and that is why I had the fullest choice to convert to Christianity in the first place.  There were great ancient Hindu masters who have walked the length and breadth of this sacred land of ours and who have performed supreme acts of love and sacrifice.  I have absolutely no hesitation in acknowledging the Hindu origins of this land and will perform all the rites leaving no stone unturned in this regard appa.  I will also perform the annual shraadh (death anniversary) every year. This I give my word to you and I will do the same thing for amma when her time comes, which hopefully is a very very long time from now.'

'Ah.. I can die in peace now.  I'm overwhelmed son by your change of heart and here I ask you one more favor.  I gift you my gold locket with the Baala-Krishna-Baala-Murugan pendant for you.  You know that this locket goes a very long way back and has been handed down to me through our paternal generations.  I now gift it to you.  Of course I will not compel you to wear it if it goes against your beliefs but promise me that you will keep this treasured and pass it down to your son in your old age.'


‘Appa, why would I not wear our ancestral locket?  In fact, it will forever remain around my neck along with my holy cross till my last breath.  And these Hindu Gods are as dear to me as my own Christ as I’m a proud Bhaarateeya Christian, who is proud of the Hindu heritage of his ancestors and his sacred land and moreover love, devotion, charity, and compassion are not the monopoly of a single religion.’


‘You overwhelm me again son and I’m floored by your tremendous wisdom.  Where was that fanatical Michael that never saw anything more than his own religion and where is this wise Murugan that I behold.  You have indeed come far ways son.’

‘All by the blessings of the Lord and elders appa,’ Michael placed his head at his father’s feet. And then Arogyaraaj slowly drifted into unconsciousness. Michael then broke open and poured the waters of the Ganges into his father's mouth from a brass chombu (pitcher), which the family had kept sealed in the pooja room. In another hour, Aarokyaraaj had passed away peacefully with a beatific smile on his face…………………..................


Monday 5.00PM, Chennai

As he had promised his father, Michael performed all the Hindu last rites to text book perfection, with his ancestral locket proudly adorning his neck.  Even the pundit was impressed by his diction of the mantras as well his devotion to the rituals.  After everything was over, he took the ashes of his father to the sea and then it was time to leave back for Delhi as he had to report to work; but not before making the promise to his mother that he would be back for completing the rituals of the 16th day.

Tuesday 4.00AM, Delhi

Michael again woke up with a start.  He had seen the same dream again. He vividly saw the smiling face of his father with a shining cross in the background.   He immediately got off his bed and walked towards the small altar in his living room which housed a small golden statue of Christ on his cross..  It was then that the phone rang; his mother was on the line.
‘Did you reach safely son. I was worried as you had promised to ring me as soon as you reached Delhi.  And thanks son for coming to Chennai and satisfy appa’s dying wish.  Thanks for completing all the rituals. You don’t know how much it has gladdened the innermost recesses of my soul.  May God bless you son and I look forward to seeing you back for the rituals of the 16th day.’
Ayyo amma, what are you saying amma.  When did I ever come to Chennai?  I can’t even make head and tail of what you are saying. It is so early in the morning and you are speaking half asleep.  And by the way, how’s appa’s condition now?’
‘What my dear Muruga, I think you really is the tired one and still half asleep.  I can understand after all the long rituals yesterday that you performed so meticulously and patiently and of course the flight back to Delhi. Anyway, go back to bed and take rest.  I’ll call you back later.  And do not forget to take good care of the ancestral locket that appa gave you.  It looks so appropriate and fitting on you..........................'

It was then that he caught sight of the shining locket with that so so familiar pendant dangling from the cross of the Christ statue and the phone receiver immediately slipped from his shivering hands.  “Hello hello hello,’ his mother’s voice crackled through the receiver on the floor.  And then his robust young knees buckled under the weight of his body as he knelt sobbing.  For the first time in his life, he felt HIS true universal love.


(This story is a fervent appeal to the Christian brothers of Bhaarath to not reject the proud ancient Hindu heritage of their great ancestors.  This does not mean that they reconvert back to Hinduism.  They should continue to remain strong followers of Christ and be the best Christians that they could be in their lives. The acknowledgement of their ancient Hindu heritage will only serve to reflect the true secular ethos of this land.) 

Copyright 2012:  No part of this Short Story can be reproduced in any part, form, or manner without the explicit written permission of the author Dr. Sivaram Hariharan.
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