‘It was a reunion of all six siblings’: Celebration turns into tragedy after Delhi accident claims three lives

As they lay bleeding on the asphalt, Shahid’s phone rang. The women of the family were travelling in a cab and the driver had lost his way. Instead of being greeted by Shahid’s familiar voice, they heard a stranger on the other end. “Usne bola, ‘Mujhe pata nahi aap kaun ho lekin jiska phone hai unka accident ho gaya hai, unki death ho gayi hai’ (He said, ‘I don’t know who you are but the person to whom the phone belongs has been in an accident, they’re dead)” recalled Aarif, Shahid’s son-in-law.

Two days after the accident, the family is still in a state of despair. The accident has not only taken away three members of a family but destroyed three families.

Faiz got married to Sabira three years ago and had welcomed a baby boy barely a month back. Hamza and his mother, Sahana, had travelled all the way from Saharanpur to visit the baby and the recovering mother. “Heena (the eldest daughter) had held a daawat (feast) for her birthday and invited everyone because her sister had visited Delhi after a long time. They took it as an opportunity for a reunion of all six siblings of the family,” said Aarif.

According to Aarif, Heena and Shahid had a deep bond. “She was the first child my father-in-law had. It was no secret, Heena was his favourite,” he shared.

Heena, says Aarif, has not been able to speak since the incident. Faiz’s wife, too, has been inconsolable and has frequent fainting spells from the stress and the grief. “She has a two-year-old and a month-old baby…I don’t know how they’ll survive,” said Aarif.

Meanwhile, Hamza’s mother is in deep shock, said her family members, frequently telling people that she wished to go back home to Saharanpur.

“We’ve stopped her for now…the funeral and other rituals will need her to be here…besides, we know how in-laws work. They’re already blaming her for her son’s death. They’re telling her if she hadn’t left for Delhi, none of this would have happened,” said Aarif.

Aarif recalled Shahid being a hardworking man who ensured everyone in his house wanted for nothing.

“He used to go as far as Noida to pick up work. In the mornings, he would wake up before anyone and wouldn’t disturb any of the women. He’d make breakfast for him and Faiz before waking his son up for work. His wife has a thyroid issue and needs to be bedridden, so he’d run all the household errands,” he said.

Faiz, Aarif recalled, had a child-like mind. “He was a smart boy and wouldn’t make any mistakes on the job. But with children, he would become like a child around them…he’d talk and play just like them…he was very happy when he had his children,” said Aarif.

With two of the breadwinners gone, the family is left to wonder who will look after them.

While four of the five sons-in-law have agreed to contribute monetarily to keep the family afloat, the household’s daily logistics are still up in the air.

Aarif said, “My father-in-law handled everything around the house. With him gone, we don’t really know who or how someone can take his place. But I think it’s still too soon to contemplate these things. We’ll see after a few days.”