Dara and Rupa Mody alongwith their two children, son Azhar and daughter Benafiya, lived in Gulbarg Society, Ahmedabad. Azhar loved travelling in train and visiting Mumbai.. especially the sea...and like every other boy loved playing Cricket. He loved teasing his sister Benafiya... and the thing he hated the most was - homework. You see, he wasn't exactly interested in studying and loved doing everything except picking up his textbook... Inspite of that was immensely loved by his father, mother and sister....
28th February 2002 was just another day for the Mody family. Dara came to know about the Sabarmati Express but hardly felt that the consequences of that "accident" would alter his life forever. As the clock struck 9, Dara left for office as usual. However, children remained at home with their mother Rupa.
At the strike of 10, Rupa and her children heard the commotion outside. Their neighbour, Ex-Congress MP Ehsaan Jaffrey's house was surrounded by the mob... afraid that they will be attacked... ladies from their building ran down the stairs to escape the feiry mob...
"I was the last one to get out of my building with my children... every woman in the locality ran to Jaffrey's house because we thought we did be safe there... I caught hold of Azhu and Binu and ran towards Jaffrey's home. We first hid in their ground floor room where around 40 woman were hiding with their children. We could hear the mob demanding for Jaffrey Sahab... they wanted his blood. The mob grew crazy by the hour. They had set a lot of things outside the house on fire.. we ladies felt no more safe on the ground floor... we decided to risk our lives and go up to the first floor. I was more worried about my children than my own life. I had held onto both azhu and binu tight. After waiting for good long time, I felt that if I had to save my children, I will have to go to the first floor or we too will be set on fire. I took the bold step. I took both my children to go on the first floor... but the crazy mob that had been thirsty for blood had already entered the house by then... the staircase was narrow... I asked azhar to catch binu's hand and started climbing two stairs at a time.. I held onto binu and binu held onto azhu's hand... but the mob caught us.. they set my back on fire.. a brick hit me on the back of my head.... soon my face too caught fire... I felt I was going to die.. my entire back and face were set on fire... I somehow managed to reach the first floor.. and fell unconscious..."
"I came into consciousness a few hours later... I saw binu near me, pleading me to get up... I regained my senses... only to find that Azhar was no where to be seen... Binu had lost the grip when the mob had attacked us..."
"its been five long years... since that day... till today, we have been looking for azhar... my heart refuses to believe that my son is dead. As a mother, I cannot imagine or think that my son is no more... I have visited numerous hospitals and orphanages looking for son... I have also written to hundreds of organisations, have gone personally to them, handed over Azhar's photograph... but havent found my son yet. I am sure that my son is somewhere there... Just a few days ago, azhar appeared in my dreams and said that mumma I will still take two years to come back.... I know my son will come back... I will never give up hope... NEVER..."
Mody family's search for their son, Azhar Mody is still on.
first published:January 24, 2007, 22:30 ISTlast updated:January 24, 2007, 22:30 IST
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"He loved trains...", says Dara Mody, with a half smile on his face, recalling what his son liked the most, "...my father and my grandfather both worked for railways... Azhar too wanted to join railways... but I wanted him to join army. He was a tall boy you see... but that wasn't meant to be..." he signs off weeping inconsolably.
Dara and Rupa Mody alongwith their two children, son Azhar and daughter Benafiya, lived in Gulbarg Society, Ahmedabad. Azhar loved travelling in train and visiting Mumbai.. especially the sea...and like every other boy loved playing Cricket. He loved teasing his sister Benafiya... and the thing he hated the most was - homework. You see, he wasn't exactly interested in studying and loved doing everything except picking up his textbook... Inspite of that was immensely loved by his father, mother and sister....
28th February 2002 was just another day for the Mody family. Dara came to know about the Sabarmati Express but hardly felt that the consequences of that "accident" would alter his life forever. As the clock struck 9, Dara left for office as usual. However, children remained at home with their mother Rupa.
At the strike of 10, Rupa and her children heard the commotion outside. Their neighbour, Ex-Congress MP Ehsaan Jaffrey's house was surrounded by the mob... afraid that they will be attacked... ladies from their building ran down the stairs to escape the feiry mob...
"I was the last one to get out of my building with my children... every woman in the locality ran to Jaffrey's house because we thought we did be safe there... I caught hold of Azhu and Binu and ran towards Jaffrey's home. We first hid in their ground floor room where around 40 woman were hiding with their children. We could hear the mob demanding for Jaffrey Sahab... they wanted his blood. The mob grew crazy by the hour. They had set a lot of things outside the house on fire.. we ladies felt no more safe on the ground floor... we decided to risk our lives and go up to the first floor. I was more worried about my children than my own life. I had held onto both azhu and binu tight. After waiting for good long time, I felt that if I had to save my children, I will have to go to the first floor or we too will be set on fire. I took the bold step. I took both my children to go on the first floor... but the crazy mob that had been thirsty for blood had already entered the house by then... the staircase was narrow... I asked azhar to catch binu's hand and started climbing two stairs at a time.. I held onto binu and binu held onto azhu's hand... but the mob caught us.. they set my back on fire.. a brick hit me on the back of my head.... soon my face too caught fire... I felt I was going to die.. my entire back and face were set on fire... I somehow managed to reach the first floor.. and fell unconscious..."
"I came into consciousness a few hours later... I saw binu near me, pleading me to get up... I regained my senses... only to find that Azhar was no where to be seen... Binu had lost the grip when the mob had attacked us..."
"its been five long years... since that day... till today, we have been looking for azhar... my heart refuses to believe that my son is dead. As a mother, I cannot imagine or think that my son is no more... I have visited numerous hospitals and orphanages looking for son... I have also written to hundreds of organisations, have gone personally to them, handed over Azhar's photograph... but havent found my son yet. I am sure that my son is somewhere there... Just a few days ago, azhar appeared in my dreams and said that mumma I will still take two years to come back.... I know my son will come back... I will never give up hope... NEVER..."
Mody family's search for their son, Azhar Mody is still on.
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