Two Tragedies

A minute's silence was observed for the departed souls

A grim reality of life stared us in the face early morning when Banoo Apa announced that Fahmida Khan’s mother is no more. She was 84.
Minutes later, Nahid Khan came with another devastating news: her 30-year-old nephew was run over by a train at Malad the day before yesterday.
A pall of gloom descended on the Garden as we dispensed with noisy rounds of the laughter exercises. And in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion, a minute’s silence was observed for the departed souls.
Fahmida’s mother had been ailing with age-related issues for quite some time (ref post of September 26) and according to Banoo Apa, her demise was ‘liberating’ in a way. She was bed-ridden for weeks and in pain. The end came yesterday.
Fahmida was obviously prepared for this eventuality as doctors had sounded her that there were no chances of her mother's survival. She rushed to Nagpur last evening

Nahid Khan is inconsolable

Fahmida Khan (file photo)

with her family, in time for the funeral.
In contrast, Nahid’s bereavement came as a bolt from the blue. Utterly confused and grief stricken, she is yet to fathom how her nephew, in the prime of youth, doing well in life and preparing for his marriage, could meet a horrific end on the rail tracks. The most intriguing part was his presence at Malad -- a place he was "not supposed" to be in. Nahid cannot even say whether it was a suicide.
In condoling their passing, we pray that the affected families are able to bear their loss with strength and fortitude. Nobody deserves to die.

Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
Two bereavements together is two too much. We pray that the Almighty may grant peace to the departed souls and courage to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss.