Kuch Reh to Nahi Gaya - Kal Ho Na Ho !!

“Har Ghadi Badal rahi hai roop zindagi, 

Chahv hai kabhi, kabhie hai Dhoop Zindagi

Har Pal Yahan Jee Bhar Jio,

Jo hai Saman,

Kal………”

Am sure most of you would have completed the last few words of the line, well the reason I didn’t wrote there is, find out why by reading this blog :

Place – Hyderabad Samshan Ghat, MGBS

Occasion – Well, do I need to explicitly tell this why were we there, if you still need, my cousins mother-in-law funeral rites.

Participants – All of my cousins from Hyderabad, society members apart from the deceased family.

We were all waiting for the “Kapalkriya” sound. ( the sound of brain eruption, which indicates that the complete body has caught fire, as soon as the Brain erupts) We were all leaving and in among group, one of the gentleman said in the graveyard, “Kuch Reh to nahi gaya” – a casual check to ensure nothing has been left over, everyone laughed at him, but he was trying to ensure that nothing has been left over. (For some reason, I heard from back side that there was nothing left). I was also laughing in the group. Tired with the funeral rituals, rushed to my place, took bath and slept over. But the phrase “ Kuch reh to nahi gaya” was continuously ringing in my mind. I was sleepless in the night. Was getting restless to such an extent that around 03:30 am, I was thinking so stupid to go and see the place where the body was burnt to ensure it was completely burnt.

Believe this, I actually took my vehicle, went up to MGBS, but could not enter the graveyard, I didn’t had that bravery to go and see inside. Cursing at my stupidity I returned to my room and slept over.

You might have a question now in mind, what’s the relation with the song and this funeral and the phrase “ Kuch Reh to nahi gaya”. I too had multiple questions that night and never had an answer till this day before this blog was written. Never knew this question gives us a very important lesson in life.

Let’s concentrate on this question and roll back our memories, you would have heard this number of times, few of them quoted below :

·         We grew up so fast as a child while playing, not sure how many games we didn’t play -  Kuch reh to nahi gaya

·         Loved someone in the teenage, but didn’t dare to express her / him – Kuch reh to nahi gaya

·         Settled in Job / Business for earning, but didn’t dare to attempt what we thought in childhood – Kuch reh to nahi gaya

·         While leaving the kid in home, wife asked, hubby, have you took everything for office, never had time and courage to tell them that all my attempts for being busy and running behind money is for you guys, but not able to give time to you only – Kuch Reh to nahi gaya

·         After daughters marriage, the function hall asked me, hope I have not left anything, and to ensure when I walked in Brides room, all I can see was the Dry garland flowers. The beautiful name, Gudiya with which I used to call her from last 25 years is left behind, she is being called with her in Laws name, but could not tell the same – Kuch reh to nahi gaya.

·         When my son was leaving to airport to travel for higher studies, I asked him, hope you have taken everything, and nothing is left over, and he replied, Yes papa, I took everything, yes he was correct, he was taking everything, what was left was me my wife and the silence, But I didn’t had the strength to tell him this – Kuch reh to nahi gaya

·         And lastly when I was being burnt in the graveyard, there was a gentleman in among the group who were leaving, asked, Kuch reh to nahi gaya, and I replied him, no nothing this time, am carrying everything with me and this time it was me who said it louder, Nahi Kuch reh nah gaya, but there was no one to listen.

All of my life, I could not say, and when I dared to say, I was no more. I was turning into ashes was waiting for someone to hear me while burning, few came closer to graveyard but never came inside and asked me.

“Chaahe jo tumhe poore dil se
Milta hai woh mushkil se
Aisa jo koi kahin hai
Bas wohi sabse hasin hai
Uss haath ko tum thaam lo
Woh meherbaan kal ho naa ho
Har pal yahaan
Jee bhar jiyo jo hai samaa
Kal ho naa ho”