That day couldn’t have started worse. The minute I woke up I heard a big commotion almost like a rumbling of a thunder close by. It looked as if our entire housing complex was struck by an earthquake of 8+ on the Richter scale. I rushed to the balcony and found the complex square below jam packed with people fighting using all sorts of weapons. Everybody seemed to be shouting and in the cacophony I couldn’t make out the cause of all that turmoil. “How could you be sleeping still when all hell broke loose on this earth?” One of my neighbours shouted from below.

I quickly changed and rushed to find out what it was all about. The trouble seemed to be running across the party, religious and gender lines as the staunch nationalist of the 14^th floor, the dyed in the wool red of the 4^th floor, the eminent Muslim lawyer of the 7^th floor and the lady Gynaecologist of the 10th floor showed rare solidarity in shouting, denouncing and demanding withdrawal of something.

Most of the ladies far past their prime were at the throat of their husbands whom they adored till the day before.

Some shouted slogans, some brought brickbats of all kinds and brandished them and some effectively used them at their own children/parents/spouses. I found pools of blood almost everywhere and nobody seemed to be thinking of rendering even first aid. The whole scene looked like a battlefield. The attacks and counterattacks continued and distressed me.

The only exception seemed to be a few old and infirm who had one foot in the grave. They were laughing away with toothless smiles ignoring the taunts of their children and grandchildren.

I thought that some strange hysteria or insanity of a new strain had seized our complex. To my horror I found the scene at the next complex no different.

A closer look at the scene revealed that the fights were mainly between the family members and not the members of our complex. As the President of the committee of the complex I thought it prudent not to interfere in the family problems of the members and started for my constitutional.

“How could you be so insensitive and just walk away when all this mayhem is let loose by the Gods?” The leftist leader asked.

“What have the Gods got to do with all this? Since when did you start believing in God?” I asked.

“I do not believe in God but this latest order from them runs counter to our basic principles of Marxism.”

“Hey what is going on? What is all this commotion and how are the Gods connected with this? Will you please put me wise to it?” I asked him.

“You mean you didn’t watch the TV last night?”

“I went out for a party and returned late. Tired, I hit the sack immediately on return. What is the news anyway?”

“It was on all channels as Breaking News. All the cell phones and landlines rang. We got SMS, voice mails and e-mails simultaneously at the stroke of midnight. The Association of Gods of all faiths had passed a decree unanimously that due to the severe financial crisis in all the heavens they were in no position to provide all the amenities normally provided and with immediate effect would permit all the humans to carry with them all their wealth,   possessions and things dear to them when they proceed on their final journey to their heavenly abode. They communicated their order through all media.”

I then got the drift of the situation and the cause for all the commotion.

“We will not let this happen. All the wealth belongs to the state. Nobody would be allowed to take anything with him on the final day.”

“Thank Gods you are not in power and pray how will you stop them?”

“We will deploy the police, the Army and our cadres at all crematoriums, graveyards etc. We will insist on a thorough check of the bodies to ensure that they do not have any cash/jewellery/valuables/cheques or bank drafts on them.” He started his Marxist rhetoric and I quietly slipped away.

The lawyer was no less vociferous in denouncing the Gods. “I will file a PIL in the Supreme Court today itself.” He declared amidst thunderous applause of the crowd.

“What if the Supreme Court declares that it has no jurisdiction over the heavens and the Gods?” I asked.

“I will take up this issue in the Parliament today and bring an amendment to the constitution.” The politician of the 9^th floor declared.

Meanwhile the ladies formed a vociferous group and started denouncing the entire species of men. They called them louts, sex maniacs, liars of the first order and used several unprintable expletives freely.

Their main issue was that their husbands enjoyed their company, love and several services including sex rendered freely all along and at the time of death would carry away   all their wealth leaving the wives to fend for themselves. They advised the younger women to charge their husbands for every service rendered from that day, to maintain separate bank accounts and buy real estate for themselves. “The men of the species cannot be trusted as they are the most despicable lot. The institution of marriage and husband and wife relationship are dead now. Let us give them a decent burial.” They shouted at the top of their voice.

“We didn’t want to come to this earth but we were brought by our parents who had their share of pleasure and now they want to take away everything with them leaving nothing for us. Where do we live and how do we look after our families? Who asked them to produce us? It is not our fault that we were born and to these parents. We had no option of choosing our parents, sex, colour, place and date of birth and we did everything at the bidding of our parents. Now they want to take away everything with them. This is grossly unfair to say the least. All parents should part with part of their wealth when they are in their forties or fifties. We do not want to call our parents as father or mother anymore.”

The parents were no less strident in denouncing their children. “We provided them good education and looked after them well till they could stand on their feet. There ended our responsibility. Why should they complain? We don’t want to call our children as sons or daughters after they attain their voting age.”

Things changed rapidly from that day. The whole gamut of human relationships stood on their head. Parents considered their progeny a threat to their wealth, husbands thought of their wives as excess baggage and devised ways and means to dispose them off to prevent any claims on their wealth.

Even the economy changed. Everyone saved for the final day. Sales of several goods dropped abysmally low. With individual savings growing phenomenally the economies of all the countries, markets, and economic theories changed beyond recognition.

The jury is still out debating whether the change is for better or worse.

What do you think?