He didn't know it was their last embrace—now he'll never forget it. Grieving Delhi man's post, remembering late wife, goes viral

A man from Delhi recently touched thousands of hearts across the internet after sharing an emotional post on LinkedIn, recounting the final embrace he unknowingly shared with his wife—a moment that turned out to carry far more meaning than he realized then.

In a post that has since resonated deeply with readers, Prathap Suthan shared his memories of what seemed to be an ordinary hug. That morning, before heading to the hospital, he embraced his wife without thinking it might be the last time. “Hug well,” he began, as he reflected on that moment, which now carries the weight of finality. At the time, it was a simple gesture. But today, it has become sacred.

To him, it was a hug filled with hope—a gentle act of affection, believing they would walk back through the same door together. But in hindsight, Prathap believes his wife knew the truth he couldn’t see then.

“For her, I now realise, it was different,” he wrote. “It was the quiet, moist hug of someone who knew she wasn’t coming back. The deep embrace of someone saying goodbye, not for a while, but forever..." he reminisced.

This moment, he said, is something no one prepares you for. “It is a hug I will carry for the rest of my life. No other embrace will ever come close..." he wrote.

Using this poignant memory, Prathap explored the unspoken depth in physical connection—the language of touch. He illustrated how hugs can carry stories: love, loss, longing, and even resilience.

He described the emotion behind an ageing parent clinging to their child before a journey, trying to hold time still. A mother clutching her son before war takes him away. Lovers meeting again after painful distance. A laborer returning to his village, disappearing into his mother’s arms that erase every year spent apart. Even strangers offering strength through a simple embrace during times of despair.

He emphasized, “A hug can greet. It can part. It can hold love or carry survival. But it is never just a hug."

He concluded with a heartfelt plea: “Don’t overlook the strength in a touch. In this world full of screens and solitude, if you get the chance to hold someone today, do it like you truly understand its meaning.”

The internet responded in kind. Comments overflowed with gratitude and emotional resonance.

“This post felt like a hug itself,” one person wrote. Another confessed, “I missed hugging my mom before her surgery—I wish I had read this earlier.” And one summed it up perfectly: “In a world avoiding closeness, thank you for reminding us that we’re made to hold and be held.”