Aab has seen many deaths. In fact, he has more friends on the other side of the twilight horizon than in this world. Friends with whom he walked for miles and miles, and friends who just encountered him briefly but left a deep imprint in his mind. He misses many of them, but does not feel bad for them. He does not know where they are, whether they exist in some form or the other at all or not. Yet he is actually jealous of them. For, when Aab turns around and sees the world he lives in, he has a strong gut feeling that wherever his dead friends are, it is likely to be a much better place than this.
Aab is humored when someone says that he is crying for a departed soul. For, Aab knows that no one cries for the dead – they only cry for themselves when they come face to face with death. They cry for their own imminent death, not knowing when, how and with what agony it may come. He understands the strong need in a human to cling on to dear life, whatever may be its quality. He has seen the very old, the terminally ill, those ripped apart in ghastly accidents – all pleading for life in their last moments. He respects their desire to live, but cannot join hands with them.
On the other hand, Aab often makes plans for the ultimate vacation that will take him back to the company of all his departed friends. He has so many of them, and some of them are very special. He knows that if they exist, they will welcome him with open arms. And if they do not exist, then Aab knows that he too shall cease to exist. His body will disintegrate back into nature, and he will become part of the air that no one can see, feel, taste or touch. What a bliss !
