One of my friend’s father expired in the middle of the night day before yesterday. Since it was quite late in the night when the fatal decision was conveyed to the family members by the doctors in teh hospital, it was decided to keep the body in the mortuary for the night.

 

I got the news yesterday morning and alongwith two of the family members went to the hospital to get the body discharged. We directly went to the sister in charge who promptly asked us to settle the accounts first and bring the payment receipt to her. Only then the discharge formalities will start. Accordingly, the bills were settled and we took the receipt to the sister.

 

The sister in charge took out the case history file from the stack, asked the ward boy to get the keys of the mortuary and signaled us to follow her. We were led to the basement of the building. I have made innumerable visits to various hospitals and also knew that there is a section called ‘Morgue’ therein. However, I could never imagine that the morgue would be entirely different from the well lit, wide spread, white washed, well ventilated rooms and cabins of the hospital.

 

My imagination got a jolt when we reached the dark and somewhat damp basement. Sister went passed the first door and fastened her cloth mask. So did the ward boy. We did not know what to do, as we did not have any mask.

 

Clang ! The sister opened the lock of the second door and went inside the dark interior of a tunnel. The ward boy followed her with the wheeled stretcher. We stood outside. After 10 secs, sister’s white dress appeared at the door way. She was calling us in. It was a point of ‘no-return’ so we stepped forward, wondering why death and darkness are so intermingled and bring us at the beginning of an unknown tunnel.

 

Oooosshhhhh ! the ice-cold temperature embraced us inside. There was also a peculiar smell in the air. The door of one of the 6 footer cell was open and the stretcher was placed in front of it. The sister handed over the Case file to us in that dim light. I took the file and ensured that the Death Certificate was in it. By that time a tray was pulled out of the freezer cell- on it laid a human body wrapped in a white cloth. Body – just a body ! We transferred it from the tray to the stretcher. Oh – it was so cold and heavy. We were unable to place it properly. “Put your hands under the shoulder of the body”, pat came sister’s instruction. I wondered, how to ensure that it was the correct one. Sister must have read my  mind. She slightly lifted the white cloth from one end and we could see a human form tightly wrapped with another white sheet beneath it. A sticker was pasted there with the name of the patient written on it. She read out the name. It was correct ! On the other end, there was another sticker with similar information pasted on the head of the body.

 

We came out of the morgue with the labeled body on the stretcher. The death was dark and cold, covered by the white shroud signifying light and the beginning of another life !!