Praju
Always a happy,calm and "satisfied with life" look on her delicate face...
They have always been close.. They've laughed together ,And shed some tears.. They've had harsh words, And pulled some hair, They always fought and hurt each other but at the end of the day they would giggle as if nothing has ever happened..
Their times together were very few, but Praju, your sis just wants to say she loved you and she always will !
Praju had a very hard life.. When she was 8 years old, they found the cancer.. And then the next 10 years was a journey of unbearable pain..
But she was so brave, so positive , she never ever lost her will power.. Cause some where down in her heart she would think that she is going to come out of this and so did all her family ...
But the tumor was very rare and the medical database on it was very limited. She had her 1st operation when she was in 4Th grade, they removed a ball size of tumor from her stomach but didn't forget to warn that its not the cure.. It can spread again and things can be serious..
They gave her radiation therapy and managed to control the tumor down but they knew then that it was just a case of buying time....
She had such beautiful hair, all girls would envy of.. Long, thick, jet black locks would curl around her fragile face, very pretty.. But her sis still remembers the day when Praju's chemo started and she started losing her hair, they were so precious to her but she had to part with them..
Then she started wearing a scarf around her head.. It was hard to go around sporting a scarf all the time... In school, in neighbourhood, people started noticing, and asking questions.. While playing on the ground, the scarf would come off and Praju would burst into crying.. They watched this all, they were with her, but they could do nothing about it, they were her family but a helpless family..
Her dad took her case to every possible clinic, discussed with all the top ones in the field, sent the case offshore too but to no avail...
Her mom would cry now and then.. But she could not even cry in front of Praju.. They thought she is not aware of the seriousness but least they knew that she would take out all the files and would read them often and fully knew how bad things are..
So was the life, but Praju never felt sad nor she ever cursed her life or god.. She would indulge in painting, drawing, learnt to play harmonium, went for German class, came first in the class, started learning computers, she was also a good cook , would learn everything what her mom would make at home.. I mean there was nothing she was not able to do, she wanted to learn so much in life, but she had so little time.. It was so painful for them to watch her desire to live life..
After few years, things started getting worse, her legs would swell up and she had to remain in bed for most of her time.. Then she got Ascites, that is fluid accumulates in tummy, it signifies advanced stage of the disease.. But still she would take a stool or chair and sit by the gas stove and cook something.. She hated sitting ideally..
All relatives started calling now and then, but never they heard her saying "I'm not well", or "this is paining".. She would say "I'm fine, every thing is fine"...
But then it was Cancer, and it took it's toll on her. Now she would say to her sister "I don't want to die", am NOT going to die!” And her sis would reply , “Well, of course you’re not going to die, everything is going to be fine."
But they both knew how lame were those words..
Her sister would run out of the room and cry in the bathroom..
They shared almost everything, their crushes, dresses, secrets,make up, everything..
And then the worst happened,At 18 years old, she got it. She had the answers to life's questions we still have no clue about..
Praju bid good bye to her harsh life and everyone around her.. And when she left, her sister cried every night for months.. She hated all those festivals, functions without Praju.. Felt guilty even thinking about celebrating the season.. But now just less than a decade later facing yet another New Year's Day without her dear sister, She's starting to get it.
So much Praju loved to gather everybody together for any festival and have fun, so her sis has got to do the same thing..
Author Kahlil Gibran wrote something so true, "When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in the truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight..."
How could this happen? They still don't know for sure. There are theories but rather than spending whole life trying to figure out how she died, her sis is trying to spend the following years emulating how she lived. Cause whatever little life Prajakta lived, she always saw some beauty in it, always celebrated every day doing something she liked.. That's the teaching she wanted to give to the world.. Live life to the fullest !!!
