A Sunday that shattered Naid Khai’s Lone family and a Sunday of fading hopes

Srinagar, Nov 10: On the afternoon of November 3, 2024, Zubair Akbar Lone, came from Naid Khai Sumbal with his family to go shopping in Srinagar.

He never knew that even before shopping on Sunday, he would land in SMHS Hospital to attend to his wife, who is now battling for life in ICU Ward 17, Bed 3. For seven days he has not met his kids as he is attending to his wife at the hospital.

His wife, Abida, 39, was one of the 12 injured in the grenade attack lobbed in the busy Sunday Market near TRC in Srinagar on November 3, 2024.

“After reaching Srinagar, I dropped my wife, kids, and a relative near the TRC and decided to park my vehicle exactly opposite the J&K Bank,” recalls Zubair.

Little did he know that he would not accompany his family to the market and meet his injured wife in the hospital.

“After parking my car, I walked a few steps towards TRC. In the meantime, a blast occurred and I rushed to the spot to look for my family,” Zubair said.

However, he could not locate his wife and kids there but received a call from his relative who was accompanying his family to the Srinagar market.

“My relative informed me that Aabida was injured and was taken to the hospital. But the kids escaped safely who, however, are now in shock,” says Zubair.

At least 12 civilians were injured in a grenade blast near the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) in Srinagar on November 3.

According to doctors, Abida received head injuries and was operated upon. She is now in the ICU at SMHS.

“After the attack, when I saw her in the hospital, she told me to arrange a Paracetamol tablet for her saying she had a headache. She had no idea that she was hit in the head with splinter injuries,” Zubair says.

This was the last conversation between the husband and wife.

“It has been a week now and we have not talked to each other. She is on a ventilator inside the ICU. Every morning I pin new hopes that she (Abida) will be alright and join the family. But hopes fade away in the evening as I keep waiting here for her recovery,” Zubair says.

Zubair is working in the Education Department as a General Line Teacher and is presently posted at Government High School Baharabad Hajin, Bandipora. He has three kids and the elder one Zuhair, 6, is in class 1st primary. His other two kids are a four-year-old daughter Abehiya and two-year-old Muhammad Hafi.

“My daughter is in shock. She always asks for her mother. All three kids are in the trauma caused by that loud bang and the chaos they witnessed during the grenade blast. I am not able to meet my kids at home. Even more painful for me is to wait outside here and hope for the recovery of my wife without even visiting her inside the ward and spending time with her inside,” Zubair says.

For the past week, Zubair has been living in a state of distress and pain as he remains disconnected from his kids and wife. He spends all the days and nights in the corridors of the SMHS Hospital outside the ward where his wife is battling for her life.

“I wait here with the only hope that my wife will recover and join the family,” he said.