‘Mama has passed away’

Sumbal, Nov 12: Abida Kousar, 45, injured in the TRC grenade explosion on November 3, succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday, leaving three small children and a devastated family.

Though married in Naidkhai, Sumbal, Abida’s last rites were performed at her parental home, fulfilling a wish she had shared with her husband in case anything happened to her, a relative said.

On Tuesday, as the women prepared Abida’s final bath, her 10-year-old son, Zuhair Zubair Lone, a first-grade student, stood silently among the mourners outside, waiting.

“Mama has passed away,” he said in a heart-wrenching tone.

While Kousar’s younger children, Abhiya, 4, and Muhammad Hafi, 2, are unaware of the tragedy, Zuhair was preparing to offer funeral prayers for his mother.

“He’s been waiting for her funeral prayers,” Abida’s cousin Anisa said while sobbing.

Abida’s younger son was still breastfeeding.

Abida’s husband, Zubair Ahmad Lone, a government teacher, and her mother, Misra Begum, are in shock.

Misra had torn her pheran yet she appeared resolute.  

“We will give them our blood,” she said about her three grandchildren to the women, who took her back to her house after Abida’s mortal remains were taken for burial.

“We need nothing,” Misra raised her voice on being asked how she feels about her grandchildren. “We will make them officers and ministers on our own. Their grandparents, their maternal uncle, and their father are enough for them.”

Abida’s elder brother, Waseem Raja Gani operates a private school where Zuhiar studies.

Abhiya, 3, who was admitted to pre-nursery in the same school, had to discontinue after pneumonia but is now recovered.

“Until now he had two children, now he has five,” Misra said about Waseem. 

Misra recalled the fateful day she had accompanied her to Srinagar. 

Misra and her husband had to visit a doctor and Abida’s husband was parking his car.

Abida, who was with her two smaller children, was approaching the park when the explosion occurred. 

“Abida had called me moments before,” Misra said. “And, we were on our way.”

Minutes later, the sound of a blast rocked the area.

Misra said, “At that very moment, my heart sank. I told my husband that I felt she called my name. He reassured me that nothing was wrong.  I insisted, ‘She called my name.’ And, when Abida was not there, my nightmare had come true.”

She said the family does not blame anyone.

“God knows what happened,” Misra said. “My daughter is a martyr.”

Abida’s brother, Waseem Raja sought proper rehabilitation for Kousar’s children.

He said that despite best efforts, she could survive.

Waseem said that the splinter injury had damaged the front lobe and back of her head.

“Where is Kashmir heading,” he said. “There were no blasts before. My sister only wanted her children to play in a park. Who will call me Raja now? Is this our fate? Is it our mistake that we live in Kashmir?”

Even as three suspects have been arrested, Waseem sought the use of technology to detect the culprit, suggesting it was easy to do so with the presence of hi-tech CCTV cameras around the area. 

He said that he had been assured assistance, but does not want monetary assistance.

“I want support and justice for them and formal rehabilitation, not oral statements,” Waseem said.