They garlanded him. Someone clapped. He bowed with a smile. Looked around at the rest of the people around, still beaming. Someone had tears in their eyes. He patted them on the back. "Such is life," he said warmly. "I go, someone else will come in my place, and so on. Even you will go," he added.
The person turned away, now sobbing openly. He looked at the person who had garlanded him with a shrug and a sad look, as if to say, he had tried his best.
