Mirror Image……. (part I)

Everyone was enjoying coffee and cakes in the beautiful twilight of December. And of course I was having hot chocolate and cookies. We were laughing at my father’s shaggy-dog story. All of a sudden his mobile started ringing. It was his friend Keshav calling from next door. My father ordered me to pick up his call and inform who’s at the other end . ‘My life ended…she went to heaven at last.I am in heaven now with her ……….’ mobile said. ‘Who’s on phone dear ??’. ‘Someone from heaven.. seems Keshav uncle next door’.

‘What non sense are you speaking? How can he be in heaven and talking to me ?’ My father grabbed his mobile from my hand and started talking. After a few minutes of talk , he returned back to us with a very depressed face. ‘What happened with them?’ asked mom.’Went heaven..’ . Everyone present there changed their cheerful face to a very sad, depressed face full of remorse. I asked everyone what happened but no one replied.

That question of heaven repeated inside me every now and then. It was three days since and I was still curious. Out of my curiosity I asked my mother ‘What is heaven?’. ‘Most joyful place, everyone wishes to be there.I wish I was there, far away from this hustle and bustle’. I said ‘Then where it is?’ I too want to visit that place’. My mother replied ”No no we can’t go there, please don’t disturb me, I have to prepare the breakfast.”

I was constantly thinking and tried asking everyone whom I knew. I asked the same questions to my fellow friends. Some of them couldn’t understand and some gave very wired answers like ‘if we do good things and worship every day, God will surely send us to heaven and if we harm or torture others we are surely be going to hell.’ Now what is this ‘hell‘ and where is this place?

My maths class was going on and my mind was tremendously torturing me about that heaven and hell concept. Sir knocked me with a chalk and asked ‘Where are you, roming in the heavens? Oh please come down my dear and answer the question no.3′. Out of curiosity I asked ‘Sir have you been to hell?‘.Those were my last word which I had uttered before being thrown out of the class. I was made to stand on one leg with hands raised. I was very surprised why sir didn’t answered instead punished me when just I asked about ‘hell’.

I thought that the school cab driver would be definitely knowing the address of heaven and hell. During dismissal time, I raised the question ‘uncle do you know the address of heaven?. I really want to go there.’ Car driver started laughing and said ‘I too want to go there, please if you find the address let me know.’

On reaching home I rushed to my grandmother.She was sitting in puja room and chanting mantras in front of god’s idol. I too went there and folded my hands with reverence. Having finished her prayer, I asked ‘Where is heaven granny ?”.’O dear, it’s here only below the feets of god’ she replied.

I wasn’t satisfied with the answer because everyone wishes to be in heaven, so why don’t they come here. It’s so easy. Granny says ‘No dear, not this way. We get immense peace when we devote ourselves to God. But we can actually go heaven, when there is a call from almighty’. I asked ”Granny when will I get a call from him?”.’Keep your trap shut’ she said as if she was irritated and directed me to have lunch and take a rest.  

Why everyone is telling varied answers to me ? I am very confused ! ‘God please help me finding my answers ‘ I prayed in front of him. I know god can’t help me out with this but still I listened to my heart’s voice …..

It’s 20 years since then , and I am still getting varied answers from everyone. Still I have hope that someone, someday would help me out in this. It has became my earnest wish……

To be continued in Part II…………….