TUESDAY MORNING was not a routine one for the Punya Nagar neighbourhood in Dhankawadi, where deceased Samreen Firoz Sheikh lived. From local shopkeepers to residents, everyone mourned the girl who excelled in academics, despite shouldering the financial responsibilities of her family at the tender age of 18. The enormity of the loss was evident on the face of her mother Sameena Sheikh, who works as a domestic help in the area. “She hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday,” said Rizwana, her aunt. Samreen’s father was indifferent to what was happening in his house due to his mental condition that has kept him unemployed for more than two years. Her two younger brothers were sitting in a corner of the house, shattered. Sheikh was one of the 14 students of Abeda Inamdar College who died at the Murud beach tragedy on Monday afternoon. Studying in third year BSc Computer Sciences, Sheikh used to work in Siddhi Hospital in the locality to support her family. “Samreen used to earn Rs 6,000 per month. From that, she used to pay the rent of their one-room house and the school fees of her brothers. For her pocket money, she often worked in mehendi ceremonies. Her father used to work on the docks earlier, but after his brain surgery, discontinued it. Her mother earns a meagre amount as a domestic help, but due to her ill health, her income is inconsistent. Samreen was their hope. Their hope has finished,” said Saroj, a family friend. Though many parents and relatives of the deceased children have held the college responsible for the tragedy, Samreen’s family didn’t seem interested in the blame game. “It was God’s will. Blaming them (school) won’t bring our child back. We just hope that the government offers some help to the family,” said Syed Majid, Samreen’s uncle. Supriya Pal, another student who lived in Jambhulkar Mala slum area on Solapur Road also contributed to the finances of her family. She used to assist her mother Rupa, who runs a kiosk in the area. Supriya’s father Swapan Pal, who ran a small business in Kolkata, died 10 years ago, forcing Rupa to move with her two children Supriya and Aryan, who currently studies in Junior College, to move in to her sister’s place in Pune. “Together, they earned money to give a better future to the children. And just when Supriya was about to complete her education, God took her away,” rued Manto Pal, a relative. Before attending Inamdar, Supriya completed her higher education from St Patrick’s School. Before this, she never went on a class trip. “Because of monetary issues, we never sent her on school or college trips. But she insisted this time,” said her mother. To support her family, Supriya started taking tuitions in the area and was ‘loved’ by the students. “Her command over computer science was such that her college friends used to come to our house to learn from her,” recalled Rupa.
