Question: When he passed away, I felt that I was half dead.
Sri Chinmoy: If husband and wife are very close to each other, when one of them dies the remaining one is very badly affected. If they are not close, then nothing happens. In India, very often women do not live more than six months or two or three years after their husbands die because they feel absolutely dead. It also happens with the husbands when the wives die. Again, there are always exceptions. But if you go to an Indian village, you will see many, many cases like this. Those who remain on earth pray to God to take them to their dearest ones, wherever the dearest ones may be. They do not want to stay on earth because nothing pleases them here anymore. They may have children and other relatives, but they love their departed husbands or wives to such an extent that they do not want to stay.
Sri Chinmoy, Sri Chinmoy answers, part 7, Agni Press, 1996