Jeeyo, khush raho, muskurao...kya pata, kal ho na ho!

Aaj, ek haansi aur baant lo...
(Today, share yet another smile...)
Aaj, ek dua aur maang lo....
(Today, ask for yet another blessing...)
Aaj, ek aansoo aur pee lo...
(Today, shed yet another tear)
Aaj, ek zindagi aur jee lo...
(Today, live yet another life...)
Aaj, ek sapna aur dekh lo...
(Today, see yet another dream...)
Kya pata, Kal ho na ho.
(Who knows, if there'll be tomorrow or not.)

I cant think of a more apt way to start this post.  Somehow, this tagline from Kal Ho Naa Ho keep flashing in my mind!  I keep recalling how my life changed 5 yrs ago.  I woke up one Sat morning (it was my off day) to find myself home alone.  Yeah, I've always wished 2b in a situation like Kevin in HOME ALONE - Wake up one day & find myself home alone indeed!  I searched the whole house, no sign of Mom.  Later, she called home - to tell me she's in hospital, brought Dad there, & that she wont be home so soon, in fact she has no idea when she'll be home.  So I was left with the responsibility of cooking - Dhal - for the 1st time in my life!!

Dad...yeah...we were at Dad.  What happened was...Dad had always been very fit, he jogged daily...he had nvr fallen majorly ill...nvr visited a doctor.  But in 2001, after Sis' marriage, he had this persistent headache.  Despite taking panadol, it nvr ceased (but, he still went to work - CISCO cant function w/o him!!).  But that fateful Sat, he asked 2b released early as the headache got unbearable.  He went to Tampines Polyclinic.  The doctor checked his BP & immediately wrote a referal for him to go to Changi GH IMMEDIATELY as his BP has reached the level of hypertension!!!  He called Mom & Mom met him @ Poly & went to Changi Hospital with him.  He was put on medication to bring down the BP & he had to rest in hospital...till the BP goes down to a safe level.  He came home late afternoon.  Till today, he's on medication, w/o it, his BP will rise.  That yr, for his b'day all of us shared & bought him a BP monitor.  We've always hated him coz he doesnt celebrate b'days & will nvr allow us to buy anything for him...and when we finally got a chance to share & got him something, it had 2b a BP Monitor of all things!!  Eversince he fell ill, he's a changed man.  He's finally living his life...and letting us live ours!!  He's quite a COOL Dad now...of coz, he can be orthodox still...Adat se majboor (helpless by habit).

Aaj, I heard news of a colleague (in her early 40s) from another Dept...that her hubby had passed away.  Suddenly.  Unexpectedly.  Like my Dad, her hubby had no history of illness. He's been feeling unwell & having chest pain...this morning, after sending her to work (she was contemplating whether to go to work or not, but eventually, she went to work as she had to do counter duty)...he heeded her advise to see the doctor.  He visited Bedok Polyclinic & after the doctor cheked him, he was told to go to Changi GH immediately.  He didnt go immediately.  He went back home (Chai Chee).  In the lift, he collapsed.  There was a chinese lady in the lift, but the lady just ignored (can't blame the lady also, she was alone).  The lift went all the way up to 21st floor the maintenance guys woke him up.  He told them he's staying @ the 3rd floor.  He went home, called his wife & told her abt it.  She told him to go to the hospital.  She called the doctor to ask what's wrong with him, and the doctor told her "nothing serious, his BP is very high, hypertension & I've told him to go to the hospital immediately".  After she hung up with the doctor, she called home to check on him agn & her MIL told her that he collapsed agn & foaming.  She called the doctor agn & the doctor sent an ambulance to her hse.  He didnt make it, by the time she reached home, he was no more.  Her biggest regret: She went to work!!  She was not there for him when he needed her most.

Once agn, the unpredictability of death reminded me of how fragile life is.  One moment u may be talking to someone & the next moment he/she may be gone.  Worst still if the person is your spouse/partner.  If u're prepared (person is sick, etc) it's quite easy to accept, but untimely death has always worried me sick.  What if my Dad finds my collection of movie ticket stubs?  What if my parents/family find all my other ridiculous collections!!??  Hehehe...

Today I'm reminded all over agn to live life as though today is my last day...yeah...live, be happy, smile...who knows, there might not be a tomorrow!! 

PS: Now I need to wipe my darling Tehzeeb's tears, in case she's wailing (hehehe) coz this post mentions her most dreaded topic - Death.  Sweetheart, maut se kya darna...hum sab, aaj nahin to kal, is duniya se chale jayenge!  Insyallah, hum jannat mein milenge.  Now stop being a baby & stop crying!! Heeheee....