By IANS,
New Delhi: Emotions were high as Sunanda Pushkar, wife of junior HRD minister Shashi Tharoor, was bid adieu Saturday, as both families cried on one another’s shoulder just before her mortal remains were consigned to the flames.
Pushkar’s only son Shiv – from her second marriage – hugged her body one last time before it was cremated at 5.21 p.m. at the Lodhi Estate crematorium in south Delhi.
Her father P.N. Dass and Tharoor also hugged the body and broke down in tears.
Dass wept inconsolably and almost collapsed on the ground before family members standing by caught hold of him.
Dass walked over to his grandson Shiv – from Pushkar’s second marriage – who too had tears rolling down his cheeks.
“Don’t cry,” he said in his ear, as he hugged and consoled the boy.
Some other family members also cried on one another’s shoulders, struggling to come to terms with reality just after Pushkar’s body was brought to the crematorium from the couple’s residence in Lodhi Estate around 5 p.m.
Shiv also whispered in his grandfather’s ears and said: “It’s the end.”
Pushkar’s body was draped in a red saree and her face was left uncovered.
The funeral pyre, made of sandalwood and showered with rose petals, was lit by Tharoor and Shiv, both wearing white kurta-pyjamas.
A blue muffler around the neck protected Tharoor from the chilly evening.
Tharoor pleaded with media persons to stay away and leave the family in peace while they performed the last rites.
Once the final rites were performed, Shiv settled into a corner of the cremation ground. Standing alone, he kept staring at the burning pyre, lost in thought. He did not interact with any of the family members all throughout the ceremony.
A kind of anger mixed with grief was clearly seen in Shiv’s behaviour.
When his grandfather was consoling him, Tharoor also tried to catch his hand to stop him from crying but he did not catch his hand and went and stood next to Pushkar’s pyre.
Till 7 p.m. when Tharoor left the crematorium, Shiv maintained a distance from him and continuously stared at his mother’s pyre.
After Tharoor left, Shiv decided to stay at the crematorium with a family member until the pyre was extinguished.
Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in her room at The Leela Palace hotel in south Delhi Friday.