Aabid -- In the lap of Bait-ul-Hilal. It was a moment of pain. It was a moment of pleasure. It was a moment of introspection. It was a moment of hope. It was a moment of helplessness. It was a moment of excitement. It was a moment of despair. After a painful separation of about nine months on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, Gh. Mohammad Rather, an octogenarian, hugged his seven year old grandson Aabid Nazir passionately, at our home. Tiny droplets of tears rolled down his wrinkled cheeks. Little Aabid was busy playing with grey beard of his grandfather. The old man showered all his love on Aabid. For there was no one - neither father nor mother who would shower their love and affection upon him. The scene of fondness lasted for a moment. I and my uncle were left speechless by this rare scene of concern. Nazir Ahmad Rather, an energetic young man, lived at Arin Bandipora, around 70 Kms from Srinagar in North Kashmir. The village is a beautiful hamlet surrounded by lush green mountains. A fresh water stream called Nallah Arin carves its way through this village. The fresh icy water of the stream serves as a heaven for rare trout fish and an elixir for the inhabitants. Nazir grew up in the lap of these salubrious environs of this idyllic village. As a labourer he was bound to work dawn to dusk to redeem the ever increasing needs of his family. By virtue of his hard work he was quite satisfied with his lot. Theirs was a happy family. A family enjoying themselves in the happy world of their own imagination. Unfortunately, this state of life did not last long. The nature willed otherwise and then took a dramatic turn for the worst. Nazir was diagnosed to have Leukemia. This shattered Nazir and his wife and other family members. His fight against disease drained out his available resources. At last he succumbed to the dreaded disease, and breathed his last on 15th Oct 2008. With this the responsibilities shifted to the feeble shoulders of the ailing old man. Shaken and broken by the death of his young son, the old man was forced by the circumstances to take care of his grand children and widow daughter in law. In the changed circumstances, the young widow remarried. This put additional burden on the old man who was forced to manage the little orphans single handedly. However, the blessings of Allah (SWT) came to his rescue and he came to know about Bait-ul-Hilal, a home for orphans run by J&K Yateem Foundation. There was a ray of hope for him. Finally, Aabid landed in the lap of Bait-ul-Hilal Jawhar Nagar Srinagar. The old man was relieved to a great extent. Now every year he pays visit to Jawahar Nagar to see his grandson. Aabid too visits his ‘home’ on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. Presently Aabid studies in Oasis Public High, Gogjibagh, Srinagar in 3rd Grade. He has become familiar with Danish, Faisal and other companions at Bait-ul-Hilal. Instead of mother, he knows the warden. Instead of playing on the scenic embankments of Nallah Arin, with his brother Aamir, he now plays on the court yard of Bait-ul-Hilal. His world has shrunk from Bait-ul-Hilal to Oasis Public School. No doubt he receives utmost care and all facilities of the day. But he lacks and lacks it deeply. That is the parental care and love. Had there been no Bait-ul-Hilal, what would have been the fate of Aabid? The answer to this million dollar question lies with his grandfather –Ghulam Mohamamd Rather. (Javaid Jawad is a Columnist)
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 14:24:16 +0000
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