Doctor parents wanted doctor children, never

Young Omar and Mariam had just returned from their Nani's home in Lonavala, where they had spent the Diwali vacation. With schools reopening on Monday...

Young Omar and Mariam had just returned from their Nani8217;s home in Lonavala, where they had spent the Diwali vacation. With schools reopening on Monday, brother and sister reluctantly joined their parents on the way home on Sunday evening.

It was to be their last vacation. Omar and Mariam died in the collapse along with their parents, Dr Imran Sayyed 38 and Dr Rihana.

Dr Rihana was so serious about their studies that she had given up full-time practice. 8220;The kids wouldn8217;t miss a day of school. They had returned on Sunday so that they could attend school on Monday,8221; said one of Rihana8217;s relative.

The children went to St Xavier8217;s School. Omar was in fifth standard and Mariam in fourth. Their parents wanted to make them doctors like themselves.

Dr Imran was a visiting orthopaedic in Bacha8217;s Memorial Bellevue Nursing Home,

Marine Lines, and had a private clinic in Ambedkar Nagar, Colaba. Corporator Vinod Shekhar of Colaba said that Dr Imran would often treat slum dwellers at low fees. Dr Rihana assisted him in the evening at his clinic and was also among the visiting faculty at J J Hospital, relatives said.

Younger brother Salman Sayyed 25 owned a mobile shop near his house and his cousin Fahad Sheikh 20 had only recently come from Lucknow. Both died.

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The entire Sayyed family lived in the building, but last night only a few were actually staying there. 8220;My mother and sister are currently in Lucknow preparing for the latter8217;s wedding. Our other brothers have moved to Saudi Arabia,8221; said brother Sufiana Sayyed.

Sayeed Rumana Fauzaan 30, a cousin of the family, said they heard the noise and escaped by the front entrance. 8220;We were sleeping; my brother Imran8217;s cries woke me up. As soon as I realised what had happened, I picked up my kids and rushed out. But a lot of damage had already been done,8221; he said.

After a gruelling eight hours, the six bodies were brought out from the heaps of rubble, the last one being that of little Mariam.