How can someone deal with the demise of a loved one?

I have a very close school friend of mine. Named ‘VINAY’.

It's his real story. It would be unfair to him if I hide his real name.

His life was going very well, but one day it thought to change it's route. Leave him shattered, broken.

I remember him saying me one day on chat that his dad is very sick. I still remember it was corona period back then.

There was lockdown all over the country. No hospital beds were available.

He said that his dad is been worrying about the pending debts, his sister's marriage and future life…and all of it resulted in his deterioration of health.

One day, early morning, his dad said that his heart is aching severely.

They rushed his dad to the hospital in auto-rickshaw. No public transport was available.

The pain was increasing and the stress over his mind was uncontrollable.

Then suddenly in the halfway route to hospital, his father left his body. He died. He expired.

The moment writing this answer itself is stressing me out to the core, thinking of his situation at that moment.

He didn't let me know anything of this above stated things until i figured what's wrong with him.

I noticed that he's being away from everything, everyone.

The moment I came to know about this mishap from a mutual friend, who stays nearby to his house. I immediately rushed to his place without giving a second thought. I remember it was 10 in the evening.

The moment he saw me. And I asked “Bhai kaisa hai?”(how are you?). He started crying. Like a kid.

18yr old grown up boy. Fully bearded. Crying like a kid, even i couldn't control my tears at that moment.

I realised what was he going through. I realised his pain. I realised his misery. He was not able to share it with anyone till the moment I met him.

Few months down the line, i continued to check up on him once or twice a week. Started spending more time with him. Letting him know that I cared for him.

I'd be honest to confess that I was ignorant to his situation. I didn't knew what was wrong with him. I kept thinking he's changed.

I regret that I was not there, when he actually needed me.

I also know that men's have a hard time to share things. They never do, until asked.

Now he's doing good. He has a goal. He's trying to cope up.

He's happy for his family. He's taking care and started to take responsibility of his mother and sister.

It was very hard to see the transition of being a gloomy boy to a responsible man. We've bunked many classes in school. Haha

I wish I could be even a 30% of him. He's my inspiration.

He's the only friend I am connected with after my school life has ended. He's the guy who inspires me. No Bollywood/ Hollywood star/ Influencer/ famous personality ever left me in awe. But this guy, I love him.

He's strong. He's responsible. He's everything a real man would be.

Stating as inference from the above scenario. There's only one way that anyone can deal with the demise of a loved one is: “by surrendering to time, it will balance out everything.”

Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for reading this answer. This answer means a lot to me. Hope you like it.