Opinion Could my sister have been saved?
A year has passed,and the pain has mellowed but not gone away. Ruby Randhawa,my sister,was gunned down mercilessly at the Taj in the early hours of 27th November 2008.
A year has passed,and the pain has mellowed but not gone away. Ruby Randhawa,my sister,was gunned down mercilessly at the Taj in the early hours of 27th November 2008.
Ruby was 6 years younger than me. Her personality was sunny. Every morning,she would dress according to the latest fashion with impeccably matching accessories before heading to work she was a biology teacher in G.D. Somani School. Then,invariably,the call would come,when we discussed family issues and indulged in girlish talk to kickstart the day.
When Ruby came over,she filled the house with her lively voice and her animated stories. Being her elder and only sister,I bossed over her at times,but that too shed take with a smile. We had an understanding. To flatter me,she used to ask Bhenji,how old are you now? Sixty I would say,to which she would reply You dont look your age. One of my fondest memories of childhood is probably our rides to school in the morning,balancing both our chubby bodies on the small bicycle,our bags dangling in the flimsy basket in front and me pedalling with all my might.
Ruby was a fantastic mother and wife. Both her daughters being abroad for work and studies,she would ring them up several times a day to ensure that they were happy and guide them accordingly. On her visits to see them,she cooked and froze enough food to see them through for a month. We used to laugh at her for this. Now,recalling those moments,I feel happy that her interactions with the family were so intense.
It was listening to her students tributes one year ago,that made me realise what she had achieved in life professionally,and how brilliant she was at her work: Bubbly,wavy hair,a contagious toothy smile,strong-headed but always ready with a bearhug that is how one of her students remembers her. Her devotion to her teaching profession was reflected in the faces of the many students who filed past her in solemn respect at the funeral. As Bittu Sehgal pointed out,she had rejuvenated the Environment Club at the Cathedral school where she had taught earlier. The Principal of G.D. Somani recollected the amount of ideas she kept throwing at him. The incessant chatter about her students while she corrected their work illustrated her total dedication. God only knows where she found time to knit sweaters and make lace. Whatever Ruby did,it was dil se. And that is how people should remember her.
Every day over the past year,the thought of why she decided to have dinner at the Taj that night crosses my mind. She loved good food,and trying the new Indian restaurant at the Taj was a must for her. I console myself thinking that it was Gods will.
However,looking at her silhouette as the body was recovered from the carnage that day,an overwhelming anger slid over me. A feeling that is hard to describe even now. Someone had shot five bullets in my sisters neck.
She was at the wrong place,at the wrong time. Is that fate? Could she have been saved if different measures had been taken? Who knows? In the end,we must resolve to overcome evil with good.
We painfully miss you,my dear sister. Your presence will always be felt.
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