MY father-in-law, a product of Dufferin, joined merchant navy before the Partition. Later, he shifted to Calcutta Port Trust where he spent his formative years before retiring as engineering superintendent. After six decades in Calcutta, he decided to shift to his house in Chandigarh.The anusashan which he acquired during training has become a part of his life. He is a voracious reader and spends four-five hours reading on Kindle. His day starts at 0400hrs with path-puja and rigid meal timings. “What is the need of getting up so early and disturbing everyone in the house?” I asked once. “It gives me pleasure,” he replied. One day, all of a sudden, he was hospitalised with high temperature and uncontrollable shivering. His condition, though critical, was stable. His granddaughter, a doctor in the US, would guide us and regulate the treatment. She paid a flying visit to the city to rejuvenate the morale of the family. Gradually, his condition stabilised and he was sent back home to continue the medication. One day when his condition improved significantly, he came out with a wish that stunned everyone. He desired that his body be pledged after his death, giving the go-by to normal rituals. There was unusual silence in the house. The proposal, on the face of it, was turned down by a majority vote, but he was unwilling to relent. I, for one, however, was inclined to his decision and supported the idea. The skin of dead animals is used for making leather products, the worth of a dead elephant is more than the living one, it is only the human body which is not put to any use after death, I argued. We pondered over the issue, and ultimately, with a heavy heart, decided to accede to his wish. The spade work for pledging the body was initiated, forms were filled and documents submitted to hospital. The day he received the donor’s card from the hospital authorities, he felt content and heaved a sigh of relief. Now, he was certain that his last wish would be fulfilled.The other day, we celebrated his 94th birthday with fun and frolic. I thought it would be a befitting gesture to pledge our bodies on the occasion of his birthday, but there were no takers for my proposal. But I have decided to donate my body. It will contribute immensely to the education and training of medical students. Let the human body be put to some use after  death. A meaningful life can go beyond one’s death. As conscious individuals, we should all pledge to donate our body/organs to society.