The Unfortunate Incident:

The Kaalaratri or Durgastami falls between two eclipses this month, specifically on Sunday (tomorrow). This alignment of planets and strange celestial events reminded me of a shocking incident I witnessed. I would like to recount that unfortunate event in 2018, before COVID-19, when there were no online training programs, only offline training.

A three-week UGC HRDC Refresher Course (RC) concluded before the Dussehra vacation. All the participants said their goodbyes. During the Dussehra vacation, I traveled to Vijayawada to attend to some work at the APCCE office. After completing my job, I visited the famous temple of Goddess Kanaka Durga. I shared a few photos in the UGC HRDC RC group, which sparked numerous responses and comments. However, one participant, Dr. D. Subbarao, a Government Lecturer in Telugu, responded and reminisced about some touching experiences from the RC program. I appreciated his efforts in writing and singing in the realm of social reformation, especially regarding an organization called JAI BHEEM.

On that day, as I was returning, I sent my best wishes to the group chat. Due to this unfortunate incident, the Vijay Dasami 2018 remains in my memory. While RC group members exchanged joyful Dussehra wishes, one member shared the news of Dr. Subbarao's passing. The circumstances surrounding his death were unclear. Everyone was shocked to hear the news. The UGC HRDC RC group was flooded with messages of shock and mourning. I too was deeply affected. Just four or five days prior, I had extended my warmest wishes to him, but now it felt like all my wishes were in vain, lying discarded like dry flowers in a bouquet.

I couldn't sleep properly that night.

"What happened to Dr. Subbarao on Vijaya Dashami?" That question haunted me throughout the night. If anything had occurred, it surely could not have happened on the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashami, my inner voice reassured me. It also suggested that the unfortunate event dealt him a fatal blow on Durgastami or Kalratri. My intuition suggested as much. I took pen and paper and scribbled a few lines, editing them several times. I believe it was a dirge, an elegy, or a pastoral elegy. It was indeed a sleepless night. My wife sarcastically remarked, "Are you writing a love letter to a secret love while awake alone in the dead of night?" I recounted to her the unfortunate incident that caused my restlessness.

I searched the e-newspapers for news from Prakasam district. A brief article with a few details was published the following day after Vijaya Dashami. The cause of death was reported to be an accident involving a biker on a Pulsar bike. No time or date was provided, and there were no further updates for one month. Then, one day, I encountered a lecturer from the Telugu Department, who revealed what had transpired. Dr. Subbarao had met with an accident on Durgastami, crashing into a large tree while riding his Pulsar bike. After the accident, he regained his composure and lifted his fallen bike. Instead of going to the hospital, he went straight home, content to see his wife and two little daughters, and he did not share the unfortunate incident with them. He was happy to be there for them that night.

However, unseen injuries to his lungs caused him to fall ill the following day. His family admitted him to the hospital when he began feeling unwell. The next day, he lost consciousness, and the doctors later declared him dead. There were no visible injuries, but a hidden, severe blow to his chest was the cause of death. It is heartbreaking to hear such tragic news. His young wife and two little daughters were devastated by this unfortunate incident.

What my intuition suggested on that sleepless night turned out to be true. That unfortunate event was shrouded in mystery. It unfolded on that deadliest night... on Astami. For me, that fatal night was both tragic and poignant.

You might wonder what would have happened if he had fallen at the accident scene. What let him reach home comfortably to see his wife and daughters one last time? It's up to you to ponder... I hope you find the answer.