That morning, the star of the sky was twinkling between the branches of the cedar tree. As soon as the morning light broke, with the sound of birds chirping, the noise of other boys and girls along with the classmates of the neighborhood started. Their joy is telling, today is Eid.
The time is around 2009. Suddenly woke up early in the morning. I woke up and saw that my father and uncles had gone to pray, and my mother and aunts had also prayed and enjoyed the cooking festival. I stepped up the stairs to the roof.
I hurried down the stairs and joined them in joy. I came home after 7 am and took a bath and put on the new clothes given by my father for the occasion of Eid. Father-uncles are also reading new Punjabi, eating semai and telling different stories including wandering. As it was late, father took me in his arms and told me that he would go to Nana's house in the afternoon. I am overjoyed. On Eid, aunts and cousins will also go to different homes. Everyone will play together and have a lot of fun. Everyone saluted. I received a lot of money for the service. Then we all started walking towards Maidan.
All the boys and girls are wearing new clothes. It is taking it and eating it. Dad turned around and showed the shops in Maidan and also bought many toys. Abbu made me sit in a corner and went to pray. After the prayer, he bought a lot of food. Returning home, I started playing with my classmates in the neighborhood, the area is full of Eid joy today.
Suddenly I heard someone crying from the house. I ran and saw my mother crying. An ambulance came. The uncles took the father in the car. Dad had a stroke. The happy atmosphere of the house suddenly stopped. Father was admitted to the hospital, uncle and aunt went with him. My mother could not go because my brother was younger. Ammu is crying and everyone at home is trying to console her in vain. Afternoon and afternoon, father's condition gradually worsened. During Asr, the news came that my father was no longer alive. He left all of us and left the illusion of this world and went to the hereafter.
Ammu is crying, fainting from time to time. Everyone is crying at home, I was also crying. I still did not understand the meaning of death. But I understood this, if you die, no one comes back. Ages will pass, I will not see him again.
After an hour, father's body was brought. Burial will be after Isha prayer. All relatives were informed. After the Esha prayer, Abu's face is shown for the last time, four people carry him on a wooden masli (khatia) on their shoulders and leave.
Yes, father is leaving, leaving me. I will never see you again, I will not be able to get on my lap. Everyone in the house is crying.
I sat at the door and watched my father leave. Everyone went to the cemetery with the father. After an hour everyone started to return, the burial was done. I walk with suffering and moaning.
Today is the year 2024. I am grown up, studying in university. My brother has also grown up. There will be 16 Eids this year without Dad. As always, I still wake up early in the morning and go to the roof after praying. Even today, the stars are shining through the gaps of the cedar trees, the boys and girls are happy with the joy of Eid, and all the excitement is scattered like fireworks. But I am not happy like that Eid. On the day of Eid, mom cries, the atmosphere of the house becomes quiet.
Time passes, Eid comes after Eid. But this Eid is painful for me. Eid really remembers old memories, cries, hurts. Such a memorable Eid should never come in anyone's life.
– Student, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Rajshahi University.