Kalopsia- A Short Story

"I'm so sorry to announce that famous actress Shahana Begum has passed away."

Uswa posted this news about her deceased aunty on her blog and other social media websites. With the news, she wrote the caption. 

"Strong lady, loving Khala, and an impressive actress. Life will not be the same without you, Khala. Will miss you! "

While sharing the news, excitement was shining in her eyes. 

"Uff! I will get thousands of likes and followers after this caption and news! Khala's whole fan club will now follow me. I will be the number one blogger in Pakistan." 

Leaning against the black land cruiser, she was in her imaginary fantasy land where her fans were sending her flowers and other gifts, people were praising her, and money was being showered upon her. Her train of thought was being halted by the voice of Sarfraz. 

"Sorry for getting late." He said while extending a box of fast food toward her.  She composed herself, gave a small smile to him, and grabbed the box. 

"Fazi, we have to go to my Khala's house. She has lost her war against cancer." 

"May her soul rest in Peace! We should be quick now." Fazi said without any hint of remorse in his tone. 

………………………

Sameena Begum was gazing at the dead body of her sister with glassy eyes. The film of their lives was flashing in her inner eyes, causing her heart to ache. Their mischievous childhood, passionate adolescent years, young age full of achievements and love of family, somberness, and discussing different issues of life in middle-aged years, and now she was lying there without any soul or life. 

"Alas Shano Alas! This is the reality of life. After achieving so much in life, and getting to the peaks of success; one blow comes and makes us part of the soil. All the memoirs of our achievements, our loved ones for which we have strived so hard in life; all are still lying here and you have gone so far away from them. Worldly life is a delusion in which I'm still residing but you have gotten rid of it."

Uswa entered the hall, scanned the area and her heart shrank at seeing the crowd. 

"With millions of fans and thousands of friends on social media, there are only a few loved ones at the funeral of Shahana Begum."

Fazi came near the dead body and gazed at the pale face of Shahana Begum. After staring at the body for a few seconds, he averted his gaze toward other people who were busy lamenting or trying to soothe each other. After accessing the area, he fished out the mobile from his pocket and took a few snaps of the dead body. Those snaps were going to be used for his Youtube channel.

……………………………….. 

"Maryam, have you seen Uswa?" Shazia whispered to her daughter who was sitting beside her. 

"Yes! Her branded white dress is looking so decent and the stuff seems to be so soft and rich. We should also buy some white dresses for such occasions. It will make it so easy for us to get ready on such a sudden occasion." 

Maryam said while gazing at Uswa's white designer dress with sparkling eyes.

Shazia frowned at her daughter and replied to her with grit teeth. 

"I was saying that Uswa is a very pretty and decent girl. Why not ask her hand in marriage for your brother? "

Maryam, who was gazing at Uswa's designer dress with a praising gaze, listened to her mother and it caused her expressions to morph into horrified ones. 

"No way, Mama! A girl who wears designer dresses at funerals can never be a thoughtful or sacrificing housewife. Her designer dress on this occasion is telling that she used to spend insanely on clothes, so she can never be a perfect daughter-in-law." 

Maryam commented with a scowl, causing Shazia to nod her head with thoughtful expressions. 

Maryam saw her mother and then turned her gaze to Uswa. After scowling and glaring at her face for some seconds, her eyes again fell upon her dress and she took a deep sigh.

"I will also buy such designer dresses for these occasions. They seem so decent."

Forgetting all her words, she was planning her attire for the next occasion- a funeral. 

…………………………

 

Her shoulders were shaking with shuddering breaths as tears were continuously spilling from her black pools. Uncertainty was roaming in the grooves of her subconscious, and a chill coursed through her spine. She was gazing at her mother's dead body with melancholy, while her mind was reminiscing those moments which were full of laughter and life. 

"Mom, my heart is going to burst! Please open your eyes! Don't do this to me! "

"Noor",  her Khala whispered and engulfed her shivering body in a motherly hug. 

Sameena tore her gaze from the dead body and gazed at the people in the hall. Scrunched-up faces, bored expressions, eyes rippling with pity, chit-chatting with each other, rapacious gazes, melancholic expressions; it was the whole picture of the crowd in the hall. 

 

She stood from the ground and walked toward the exit of the hall to get some fresh air. There, in the corner of the garden, Uswa and Sarfraz were sitting and making their YouTube video in which they were sharing their feelings regarding the death of Shahana Begum. Sameena took a deep sigh to calm down her frenzy nerves. 

"Ah, this technological and modern world is just like a bubble of kalopsia. All things in it seem like a fantasy, adventure, or occasion which people tried to cash. But in reality, this world and mindset are making us selfish, emotionless, and greedy."

"Sameena, it is time to take the funeral to the cemetery. " Her husband came near her and told her. 

Four men stepped toward Shahana's body and Sameena stepped toward Noor while Uswa and Sarfraz activated their mobiles for making a video. 

Actress Shahana Begum made her way to her ultimate destiny on the shoulders of four males, and with few faithful people mourning for her. 

……………………………

"Things are not the way they seem to be. We have delusions regarding everything in this worldly life, and we are so lost in these delusions that we have no time to consider other people's loss and emotions." 

Sameena gazed at the grief-stricken Noor whose whole life had turned upside down, and then at people around her who were busy commenting on Biryani. 

"We are so lost in materialistic things that humans have become a secondary thing for us."

Sameena's eyes then fell upon Uswa, Maryam, and Sarfraz who were busy on mobile, not caring about the situation or people around them. 

"We all should burst this bubble of Kalopsia so that we can see the reality of things and try to fix our priorities accordingly."

The whole hall was busy with their thoughts and world, caring less about the tragedy which had shaken the life of a lot of people.

"Beautiful web of Kalopsia has woven around us and it has blind us from the reality of life."

Tears escaped Sameena's orb while she was refilling the plate of Biryani for a guest. 

…………………………………………..