Rest In Peace

Shreeram Radhakrishnan died on 3rd December. Now, just because I am writing this, doesn't mean we were the best of friends. I knew him in a very limited way because we participated in the same extra-curricular activities sometimes. But I know what he was like because, well, he was the guy who needed no introduction. That was was said about him on his school farewell. And now that we are all being forced to bid farewell to him one last time, we realize that he is still the guy who needs no introduction because even though we haven't met him in a while, we're all crying for him.

Shreeram was a very brilliant student. Not the I'm-getting-the-highest-marks-in-all-my-subjects type off brilliant, but the true prodigy type. He was the state ripper in the boards and got into IIT- Mumbai with a rank of 224. He was also in a lot of extra-curricular activities and that's how I knew him. Whenever I saw him, he was smiling. Nobody had anything bad to say about him. My teacher once told me that one day, during the afternoon prayer, his classmates started chanting his name instead of the prayer. That's not something that happens to everyone. Poor Shreeram was mortified that day, but that's just because he was so humble.

I found out that Shreeram was sick early this year. When I received no further news about him, I thought he must have recovered. Then my friend called yesterday and said, 'Did you hear about Shreeram?' I couldn't bring myself to say anything for a few moments and my friend, who is normally so impatient on the phone, didn't urge me to talk. And that's when I just knew. But still, I asked, "What happened?" and my friend told me. All of a sudden there was no hope to cling to anymore.

I babbled on the phone for a while, because that's just what I do when I don't know what I'm feeling. Then I called my mother and she told me she already knew. She was very sad because Shreeram died of MDR-tuberculosis and someone very close to both of us once had the disease and so we know what it's like to go through it, both for the patient and the family. That person made it, Shreeram Radhakrishnan did not.

I went online and searched his name and saw all the articles reporting his death. In all the pictures accompanying the articles, get was smiling so brightly, just like he did when he was with us.

Just like I said before, my personal interaction with Shreeram was very limited and I don't want to insult anything by saying this is a huge personal loss. What this is, is a huge loss of faith. Out of all of us, he was the one who seemed so gifted and lucky and happy with his life. He wad the one whit really had a chance. So how could this happen to him of all people? And how come he had to spend months in a coma when people who don't deserve to live walk freely? And if it can happen to him, it can happen to anybody and there really is no justice in the world.

In the wake of this terrible loss, all I have learnt is that there's really no point trying too hard because it doesn't guarantee us a long or happy life. Justt when it seems like we're about to step out in the world and start our lives, we can have something really bad happen to us or even die. But that doesn't mean we get to throw our lives away and waste time over stupid problems and boys/ girls who actually don't care about us and throw tantrums all the time, because we have to make the most of our lives and there really isn't enough time. Shreeram had a lot of things we didn't, but we still have our lives and we have to live it to the fullest.

I hope Shreeram's soul rests in peace and that heaven really exists because if it does, Shreeram would definitely go there and we can all see him once we join him there.