Agha Shahid Ali said he was at the "ghat of the only world" when he died because he was a great dreamer who dreamed of finishing his journey in life and arriving at the other side. Ghats are steps leading down to a river for ritual bathing and cremation, so "ghat of the only world" refers to arriving at the point of transition between this life and the afterlife or next world. Shahid faced terminal cancer bravely and maintained his wit and positivity until the end, dreaming of being reunited with his mother after his death.