‘Shashi’s wife had to make video call at moon sighting time to break Karwa Chauth fast’

Jammu, Oct 21:b“Before performing Karwa Chauth Puja, we spoke at around 6 pm on Sunday. It was decided that we would make a video call at the time of moon-sighting so that I could break my fast by 8 pm or so. Then I left for the temple to perform rituals associated with the fast. But that did not happen and I was ruined.”

Her voice was trembling as she tried to finish her sentence, punctuated by her sobs.

Reluctantly responding to the media, this was Ruchi, wife of Shashi Bhushan, a designer, who was one among seven persons, including a doctor, who was killed in the Gagangeer terror attack on Sunday evening. They were employed by a private construction company, engaged in the construction of the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway.

She was distraught by the tragedy that had befallen her on Karwa Chauth, when she like many other Hindu women was observing fast for the well-being of her husband.

Ruchi was simply not in a state of mind to control her emotions or even console her little daughter, who was again and again prodding her (Ruchi) to take her (young one) to her father (Shashi).

“Mamma, Chalo Papa Paas (let’s go to Papa),” the younger one, kept on repeating, with tears rolling down her cheeks. Ruchi did not respond, hiding her face in her hands.

Relatives, at their Talab-Tillo residence, were trying to console both of them. The entire family was in shock, not able to reconcile with the tragedy.

“Everything was going smoothly. They were in a happy space. After the moon sighting, she tried to call Shashi but there was no response. His phone was switched off. She kept waiting and then suddenly bad news ruined her happiness. Initially, we came to know about this incident through media reports but we were not sure about the status of Shashi. Late in the evening, we found his name figuring among the deceased. You can well imagine our condition and especially that of Ruchi, who was waiting for her husband’s call to break her fast,” Shashi’s siblings narrated while completing the sequence of events, as Ruchi’s voice was drowned in her tears.

“Their son is studying Engineering. Shashi was very proud and optimistic about the future of his son. Everything is gone with him. He was the sole bread-earner for the family. For us, there is no peace, no normalcy,” one of the relatives told the media persons as the family was waiting for the mortal remains of Shashi.

“Yes, everything was going fine till a month ago. Shashi had been working with this company probably for the past 5-6 years. There was no problem. The irony is - no none from the administration or company informed the family after the incident. Family got a call this morning.”

Shashi’s father, while trying to maintain his composure, said, “The family is the government's responsibility now. His wife should be given a job. The family has no source of income. It has lost everything.”

Later Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited their residence to share their grief. While interacting with the grieving family, including Shashi’s father, he assured them that the administration would take care of the family and its needs.