മരണത്തിനു മുന്പേ എന്ത് സംഭവിക്കും : ഒരു പകല്‍ സ്വപ്നത്തിന്റെ കഥ

A Session between Life and Death:- Praveen Sakalya

It was on a happy Sunday evening myself and wife were gearing up for a photo session to mark the event of our upcoming first wedding anniversary. Suddenly my mobile phone rang with the dreadful music of Nagavally (the female protagonist of Superhit Malayalam Film, Manichitratazhu). It was my PhD guide and Boss, who asked me to report at Kayamkulam the very next day morning to form the part of our ongoing research survey of Ministry of Earth Science , Government of India to unravel some sub-surface information. My joy had no bounds when it was heard that my favourite colleague and one of my trusted Lieutenant Sreekanth is joining with me for this field work.

Monday early morning we started from Thiruvananthapuram towards Kayamkulam by our own official chariot. We reached there by 8:30 after breaking for a small refreshment at Kayamkulam. We started the work with the help of local workers. A 10m high drilling machine drills below the surface and take mud samples upto 15m depth on an interval of 0.5m.

Our duty was to sort these samples, bifurcate and categorize them into different carry bags according to their layers and finally to write a description based on their texture composition. This process continued, since they provided a sample every 30 minute.
Due to extreme humidity I borrowed a mattress from the immediate neighbourhood and took a shelter under a shade until the next sample get ready. I don’t know, when or how I was eloped into a small sleep. There comes the villain, a mid-day dream and the dream is as follows:
I was traveling in our own official car with our driver, me seated on the front seat . The car was moving comparatively in a good speed. Suddenly the car exploded, with huge noise. I can’t understand what is happening. 100% full of darkness. Breathing gets tougher for me. I knew that I was dying.

Suddenly the memorable events in my life flashed through my mind like a slide show, right from my birth, childhood, college days, job, marriage and finally the phone call of boss and the photo session which happened the other day. I was yielding to my death. Suddenly innumerable sound came from all the sides saying “bye, bye…..bye from this world”. I made it 100% sure that I am bidding farewell to my life here, in this World. I felt guilty of not finishing my Phd. I felt sorry to die without completing my PhD. One second I thought about my family members. Who will take them to outings if I am not there, and also about my wife. Any way I was confident that any way she will not suffer as she has a job as an officer with a leading Nationalized Bank.

At that time sounds of motor and thick dark fumes started spreading. I felt like vomiting. I prayed to God, no problem I will die but let me die peacefully without suffocation. God…..the inestimate provider of benevolence and mercy, help me…..I tried to open my eyes, but I can’t. I felt thirsty but I am unable. Finally I decided to stop my resistance and defence. OK bye I am dying. I made it sure.

Suddenly someone gave me a huge push to my body and shook my head, I opened my eyes, it was Sreekanth. Da..the next sample is ready. I heard the sound produced from the drilling machine and the thick dark fumes, the very same thing which I saw minutes before. I was really 100% sweating as if I had taken a bath. I realized….this time also I escaped, It was a dream….I recognized with a huge sigh of relief.

I don’t know whether these are all the primary steps we encounter before leaving this world ? May be, Who knows? Again prayer to God Almighty, let not this happen even if we die……………

[ The author is working with Centre for Earth Science Studies, Government of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram and currently a Doctoral Student with Cochin University of Science and Technology. He is an alumni of Jyotinilayam School ]`