By Special Correspondent, TwoCircles.net,
Washim, Maharashtra: Rukayya Parveen, 25, a simple and quiet girl from Karanja town in Washim district of Maharashtra, considered herself blessed when she conceived twin baby girls last year. This made her mother of three daughters: elder amongst them Yasra Maherin,2, and the twins Umera and Rumaisa.
Her family was overjoyed as both the mother and twins were doing well after the normal delivery.
However, this happiness did not last more than a month for Rukayya.On July 13, 2015 she received the shocking news that her husband had been killed by an angry mob, leaving her facing an uncertain future with heavy responsibilities staring at her face at a tender age. Shujaoddin was killed only a few days before Eid; therefore family’s celebration of Eid turned into a mourning day.
[R to L] Rukayya, Fahemida Bi and Javedoddin
On the morning of that fateful day, the situation in the Karanja town turned violent and there was a clash between people from two communities, resulting in the death of 35-year-old Shujaoddin, injuries to many due to stone pelting and damage to scores of shops. Shujaoddin was not connected to the groups involved in the violence but was murdered by enraged Hindu men while he was walking down the street to his home.
The communal tension had erupted under the pretense of ‘Love Jihad’ following the marriage of a youth from minority community with a girl from another community. The couple in love had a court marriage but the people from the girl’s community were unhappy at the alliance as the groom belonged to the minority community.
One year later, Rukaiyya has still not recovered from the distress that had struck her in the month of Ramadan. She is fasting but speaks little. She is now left to live with the sole aim of raising her three daughters.
Rukayya could not maintain her posture and breaks down while recalling the fateful day and tells TwoCircles.net with a broken voice, “I will never forgive killers of my husband. They (killers) made my daughters orphan, woe unto them”.
Shujaoddin with his daughter Yasra Maherin
Shujaoddin was the eldest son to parents – Islamoddin, 60, and Fahemida Bi, 55. He was a family person who successfully executed his responsibilities. Although he was eldest, he married only after all of his five sisters had got married.
“He lived for his sisters and when a time came to live for him, he is not amongst us”, Fahemida Bi almost clogs while mentioning this.
Javedoddin,24, the youngest brother of Shujaoddin told TwoCircles.net, “My parents don’t consider Rukkaya as a daughter in law but told her that she is more than a daughter to them. After the fateful incident she does not speak much.”
Javedoddin does furniture work in the town to earn livelihood for the family. “We are a joint family. Abba and Ammi looks after the girls’ whole day. I and elder brother Ayyazoddin have shouldered the responsibilities that were earlier on Bhaiyya (Shujaoddin)”, he adds.
Ayyazoddin, 33, who is a carpenter, recalls Ramadan memories with Shujaoddin and says, “He used to take care of everything and everyone in Ramadan. He would bring eateries every evening for iftar, would buy clothes for all”.
His eyes are filled with tears when he says, “Now we will never have those days at home. He is not amongst us at a time when it was most needed”.
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