Life is not a game, there are no restart options

Prevention is so much better than cure.

- Unknown 

Today when I got back from work, I heard that my neighbor had passed away! I came to my room, and couldn't literally believe what I heard. I was numb. I couldn't feel my hands or legs. I changed quick and went to his house. While walking, thoughts about us flashed through my mind. How he used to tell me about the future he wanted to live in. How he wanted his parents to be happy and how he wanted to do things that made them happy. Thinking of him, I only had so much of positive and good memories. The days we used to sing together sitting on our terraces. The days we used to go for a stroll. Our birthdays, festivals, occations. Anything and everything. I couldn't still believe what I heard. I reached his home. There was people all around. I wanted to see him. I slowly walked towards the house, I could see the chair in which he used to sit and have that bright smile when I came to his house. I could feel him still over there somewhere. I still couldn't believe he is no more. I slowly stepped inside, I saw his 2 sisters, his parents and many of his relatives, all broken, shattered, sitting besides the body. I could not take it all, tears rolled down my eyes. I controlled myself from breaking. I turned around, and walked home. That's when I realised that I haven't even looked at his face. But I remember his face was not open. It was closed. I remember it was closed, the body as a whole had been covered. I thought why would they do that. I walked home and went straight into my room and lied down. I still could not uderstand the reason for this. I neither asked anyone. He was flashing my mind every single moment. And I somehow slipped into sleep.

Tomorrow, I woke up from sleep. I just didn't remember when I slept. I came out of the room to realise that I wasn't just dreaming. I remember thinking of him and what all happened yesterday. I still remember the white clothing covered body. But still I knew no reason why that happened. I went to the kitchen and I asked my mom what had happened to him. That's when she said he was suffering from sever fever last week. But still I couldn't understand how a fever can kill a person. I was not convinced with mom's answer and I somehow wanted to know what had happened. I took my phone and messaged some of our mutual friends, and asked them what had actually happened. They replied he had been suffering from rubella for the last week. They said it has just been 5 days he is suffering and this news was really a shock. They told me that there was a rumour that, a month back the college had an outbreak of some waterborne virus and had been having cases like severe fever. Students and parents have been requesting the authorities to suspend the college untill it is contained. But the college gave no official instructions to the students. The college had said that regular classes will be held as usual. He, who is very much, or maybe too much optimistic and positive, said that he had so much to do with his life that no virus or diseases can affect him, they said. I was shocked to hear such a news from them. It made me think.
What if he hadn't gone to college those days? What if the college had taken better precautions or better prevention methods? What if he wasn't so much optimistic with his life? What if he had some fear in him of getting ill? What if he hadn't been affected? What if all the "what if"s had happened?

Today when I was coming back from home, maybe he would have screamed loud to his throat and said a hi to me. He would have been maybe sitting with me here, in my house asking me all about last week's work. He would have been telling me about all what he did at his college the last week, about all the little crushes he have, about the bunking of classes. So much of a person he was. But, who is the villain here? Who is to be charged responsible? Who is to be questioned?

So my dear readers, this kid nextdoor can be me, or even you. Life is too short to take risks and have second chances. So think twice and act wise. We have all been reading all over the newspaper and have been hearing on TVs about the outbreak of viruses, but we don't take them serious unless something real happens to someone we care for. Think...

- the above context is to just create a thought in everyone's mind about how we don't take care of real cases and take it for granted.