Mathematics of life!

The woman, she had breathed her last at 2:40 AM, the previous night. The mourners were many. Her husband, son, her siblings, and her mother too. Some were sobbing silently, some crying loudly, some cursing the ways of the world, some cursing God. She had suffered from cancer, and fought for a while, but had finally surrendered. Surrendered in a battle, she realized she was losing. The fighting had caused agony, to her, and the people around her. This way had seemed better. And now, it was all finally over. Amidst all the silence and the sobs, there were a few who questioned God and his ways.

The woman's sister said, 'Oh! Why did you have to take her away from us now! Her son is getting married this month. She had chosen the bride for him too. This is not fair. You could have taken me instead, and given the rest of my life to her. What do I have to live for! My husband is no more and my kids are all settled and have moved away from me. Instead of her, you should have taken me, God.'

The woman's mother said, 'This is so unfair, dear God. She was so young. Look at me. I am ninety. What do I have to live for. You could have given the rest of my life span to her. I have seen whatever I have wanted to see in life. All children settled. I have even seen grandchildren. Oh! My poor child! So unlucky! This wasn't fair, God. I always prayed to you. You didn't do justice to my prayers.'

The woman's husband said, 'Why her, God? Why not me? When I was always busy at work, she was the one who took care of the boy. From sending him to school, to searching a bride for her son, she has done everything. She would have loved to see this wedding. She had dreamt of it so often. Instead, you could have reduced my life span, given her some more time. She had so much devotion in you. She was a believer. You didn't play a fair game this time.'

God was sitting in his heaven, with a friend, listening to all this. God said 'Do they think this is some kind of mathematics?Subtracting from one and adding it to another? Everyone has a time to go. Her time had come. Why blame me?'. He looked at his friend. The Friend said 'But still, it was in your hands. You could have given her a month, 2 months, may be. As they said, she would have liked to see her son getting married. She did not deserve to die so soon.' God did not know what to say. He thought for a while, and said, 'So be it. Those people who were ready to give a part of their life span to see her live, I will go speak to them. If they agree, I will give her that much amount of time to live, how much ever they are ready to spare. If they think it is just mathematics, for once, so be it.'

So, he came down, to meet the deceased woman's sister first. He appeared in front of her. He said, 'I am the Lord Almighty. You offered to give yourself to God, instead of your sister. If you say yes, I want to make your wish come true.' So, the sister, flustered, not knowing what to say, muttered in a low voice 'Oh! Lord almighty, I said them indeed. But that was said because I was very upset. I am expecting a grandchild soon. I want to see the child, play with it, and feel it's hand curl around my finger. God, don't take me. I need this chance. I am a widow. I have just had this one thing to look forward to. Don't take it away now. Please.' Hearing this, the God disappeared.

And then, the God went to the mother. He asked her the same question. Would she be willing to give the rest of her life span, for the sake of her daughter? So, the mother said, 'God, I have prayed to you for this long. So many times. And today, you appear, only to ask me to give the few months, I have left, on this earth. Why are you depriving an old woman of what li'l time she has?' So, the God disappeared.

As a last resort, he went to the husband. God posed the same question in front of him. The husband said, 'You took her away. It's all over. Now it's my responsibilty to take care of my son's future, his wedding. My wife will see everything through my eyes. She will be happy, from where she is. I want to see my grandchildren and I want to play with them. I want them to call me, 'grandpa! grandpa!'. My wife will be happy for this, from where she is, in heaven.' God just smiled and disappeared.

God, then returned back to his heavenly abode. His friend was sitting there, waiting for him. God narrated the whole incident to his friend. And then said 'That's why, my friend, Life is not just mathematics.'