Ever wondered that you can control your breath? (But once you pay attention to this natural process, doesn't the fear of forgetting to breath give you a sudden shiver?) You can halt the natural process of breathing ! You can breath breath in longer breaths or shorter breaths or breath faster, as you wish! Look now it's noteworthy that when we are not aware of our breathing what really does that for us? What really it is and what name should be ascertained to it? Had it been involuntary like the heart it'd have been another case.
           Life is being kept alive by the natural process that we have just discussed. But life, yes life it's  beyond my ability to define it! Can you? I don't think you can and if you come up with a definition I 'll be the first person with the most eager ears to hear you define what life is. We can not simply say life means breathing or some action like locomotion.
           It is universally accepted (universe made of humans, for animals don't accept) that man is the most advanced form of life (But is he? Isn't he the one who lacks the sixth?). He is rational. He  reasons all effect and cause. He is the wisest (But is he ? Man has fought the most gruesome of battles that perhaps wild animals can't think of! And he has proved to be wilder than the most wild animal! As only a single example , the name that comes to one's mind is Hitler!). Man has taken up the task to tame nature in his endeavour to make life better for himself and his fellowmen. But how far he is successful in his effort? In a sentence we can say that man is now living in an uncivilised modern civilised jungle. You would say that I've moved away from the main topic 'Life'. But didn't I accept defeat that I am unable to define what life is and promised my eager ears to your definition first?
            Now let us come to death. Death can be defined as something without life. Sounds weird? Try to become familiar with it, for if you are familiar with life then you are destined to face death! May be it sounds horrifying or rather absurd. But dear it's the truth! In a sense, as it is said, truth is more fearsome and dangerous than fantasy! A self-proclaimed poet writes: "Life is but the path (we walk) to death,/Death, the end of breath,/The end of of sorrow,/For you won't worry,/The end of prospect of seeing morrow,/And you won't feel sorry!"

Sanjib Chakma
BA Eng.MBBC
Tripura University.