Last year, November 7 morning, as word spread about the murder of Muhammad Maqbool Ganai, 45, son of Ghulam Muhammad, of Sarai Bala, thousands took to streets while at-least 12 persons were injured in clashes with police and paramilitary troops. The demonstrations against the murder of Gania, a mutton steak seller led to a spontaneous shutdown in the City centre areas of Maisuma, Budshah Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Saraibala, Residency Road and Moulana Azad Road. The protests lasted for a few days.
 Four months on, Ganai’s widow Zarina and two minor sons are all alone left to fend for themselves with no source of livelihood and nobody to help them. And as for the police, it’s still clueless in the case.
14-year-old Aquib and Qaisar,10, have just returned to their one-room home at Sarai Bala from a nearby school. But there’ no lunch for them and they will have to share a loaf of Rs two Naan. This, however, is unlike the past when the family head was alive.
 “Their father would keep the best of the foods including chicken and fruits available for them all the time,” recaps Zarina.
 She says Ganai was a hardworking man who aspired to provide the best of the facilities to his family.
 “He would spend the day preparing what he was popular for –the Mutton Tikkas and sell them in the evenings only to make some good earnings for us,” she says.
 Ganai was caring husband for Zarina, a neurological patient.
 For the past many years, she has been undergoing treatment from Dr Sushil Razdan, renowned Neurologist in Jammu.
 The woman can’t afford missing the treatment or her ailment may aggravate. “Because of this he(husband) would not only take me for regular checkups but even keep an additional stock of medicines for a month at home,” she recaps.
 But since Ganai’s death, the family is in trouble. For some weeks, Ganai’s brother fed the bereaved family.
 “But then he too has his own family to look after and doesn’t have that good an earning... So we realize his limitations,” Zarina says.
 How do you manage then? “Some send us Rs 100, some send edibles... Our life is almost like that of a beggar,” she says fighting tears in her eyes.
 Meanwhile, there’s Azaan for Asar prayers from nearby Iqra Masjid in the commercial area.
 “See she could have contacted the Masjid people and sought financial help from them,” said some women in the neighbourhood.
 “Why should I? Does Islam allow me to walk after the males looking for financial help?” Zarina argues.
 But then it’s not that she doesn’t want to work. In fact she has been moving pillar to post for that.
 Some relatives, who pursued Gania’s murder case, too have been trying hard to get her a job.
 “The only official we have a contact with is SSP (Javed Reyaz Beedar) Sahib who is investigating the murder case. He gives us a patient listening… We have been requesting him to get her adjusted somewhere but results are awaited,” said some relatives of her.
 Though this March the mother managed to make her sons resume schooling after the winter break, she is worried about their future.
 “If I don’t get a job, may be they have to give up schooling and work as labour somewhere. What else can we do to survive,” she fears.
 But then schooling and better living isn’t the only concern for the Ganai family.
 Zarina was scheduled to undergo medical check-up on November 15 last year. But a week before that her husband died.
 “Her condition may deteriorate anytime,” fears a woman in the neighbourhood. Fears have reason.  “Some two years ago on second Ramzan, she missed to take medicines in-time and fainted injuring her eye on boiling Samawar. Since then her husband had been very particular of her treatment,” the woman adds.
 That wound is still visible on Zarina’s face.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST