The 238th death.

[Text and photos sent by Shadman Alvi]

It was a cold frigid winter evening when the news broke out. Shadman Alvi, 62, was found lying cold on the floor of his small house in a city suburb.

“It was a heart-attack,” the reports confirmed.

The room Mr Alvi leaves behind reflects his life’s simplicity. It includes his favorite pale-yellow lights, a money-plant vine that he named Dobby, a window-side bed and a wall, painted black. The Urdu poster on the wall reads, ‘Khushi zahir choti-choti cheezon mein hai’, which translates to, ‘Happiness is found in small-small things’. These were his mother’s words.

Mr Alvi’s tombstone reads—‘Inshallah,’ or God-willing.

Our Self-Written Obituaries invites people to write their obituary in 200 words. The idea is to share with the world how you will like to be remembered after you are gone. (May you live a long life, of course!) Please mail me your self-obit at mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com.

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