Departure gate
There is one place all of us are headed to The end of the road, the last halt…the giant terminal-terminus in the sky, the point of no return. Yep, we are all going to die. They say we cannot escape death or taxes - unless its funds stashed away in Swiss banks, in which case you are safe till Baba Ramdev gets you - but cheat death? Naah! So, if we are all going to pop it, why does the after death experience become hell for those who we leave behind? Take for example a death in a Hindu family. Spouses, children or parents go into a numb state of mourning. A support group generally steps in and takes over the management of the last rites. Forms are filled and if it happens in a hospital - bills are settled. Relatives and friends are informed. A mortuary cooler is brought in, flowers are procured, a poojari is entrusted to perform the rituals. Typically on the day after, the body is moved to the Crematorium. The wise men of the past advised that only men should go...