Parray’s new shop was ready, but death arrived before he could step in

Srinagar, Nov 15: A pall of grief descended over Nowgam on Saturday as the body of 47-year-old tailor master Muhammad Shafi Parray, one of the nine victims of the accidental blast at Nowgam Police Station, was brought home amid scenes of wrenching sorrow.

Shafi, who had gone to the police station for a minor tailoring job on Friday morning, never returned. For his family, neighbours, and the entire locality, the tragedy has created a void many say can never be filled.

Residents said Shafi visited the police station earlier in the day, returned home briefly, and went back later at night after putting on warm clothes, telling his family he would finish the work and come home soon. When the blast occurred around 11.20 p.m., the family first heard rumours he had been injured before the heartbreaking confirmation arrived minutes later. The news plunged the household into unbearable shock.

By Saturday afternoon, the narrow lanes of Nowgam fell silent as people waited for Shafi’s body. Sobs from neighbours and relatives broke the stillness. Members of the local welfare committee worked to erect a tent for mourners—an irony not lost on anyone, as Shafi himself had headed the same committee for years, helping countless families during times of loss. “He was the one who organised everything for grieving families. Today we are doing it for him. It feels unreal,” said Mudasir, a neighbour.

Inside the home, Shafi’s wife was inconsolable. Her cries of “I want my husband back” echoed through the rooms. Their young children clung to relatives, unable to grasp the finality of their father’s absence.

Family members said all three children depended entirely on him, and close relatives sat stunned, unable to speak.

In the courtyard, Abdul Rahim Rather, whose niece is married to Shafi, wept as he recalled the final hours. “He went there after being called for a piece of tailoring work. How do we face this family now? They have lost everything. His children have lost their only support,” he said. He urged the government to compensate the family and provide a job to one of Shafi’s children.

Neighbours remembered Shafi as someone who would put aside his own work to help anyone in distress. “Whether it was a marriage, a death, or any community event, Shafi uncle was always the first to reach,” said a local youth.

An elderly woman described him as “a son who respected everyone,” saying Nowgam had lost “a gentle soul.” Others recalled that he had offered Friday prayers, collected donations for the mosque, and returned home that very afternoon in a cheerful mood.

Shafi, residents said, had worked tirelessly to overcome financial hardships, raise his children, and expand his tailoring business. He had recently arranged a new shop and planned to shift there within a day or two. “He was looking forward to a better life after struggling for so long. But fate took him away before he could see that day,” said another neighbour.

When Shafi’s body finally arrived in the late afternoon, wails echoed through the neighbourhood. Men, women, and children cried together as hundreds joined his funeral procession. As he was laid to rest, mourners said Nowgam had lost one of its most compassionate sons—a man whose absence will be felt for years to come.