“She is my cousin, take care of her”, he said while introducing me to one of the faculty members of the varsity department where I had secured admission. It was not for the first time that he turned out to be a true help for me by seeing me at the place where I am today. He had been a source of encouragement and facilitation since the times when I used to post my hand-written manuscripts to Greater Kashmir, of which he was a founder member. In fact, it was he who after having his Masters in Mass Communication & Journalism gave me an idea about this stream of study. He was the only one in our family to have pursued this unique subject.
Not just me, he was a source of inspiration for many other students and budding journalists who wanted to excel in the field of media. He inspired many of us to Izhar—to express ourselves for the greater good, to articulate with scrupulous impartiality, to be the communicators of reality.
I remember it was my first profile-writing assignment as a student and I was confused whom to contact and interview. I was reluctant in meeting anyone I didn’t know. I called him up and he solved my problem. I succeeded in reporting my first profile. It was carried by the Lab journal of my department under the headline-‘Out of chaos, a dancing star: Izhar Wani’.
One gloomy morning, some unknown sadness gripped me. I somehow started for the University when one of my relatives rang me and said, “Do you know, Izhar has to undergo surgery for treatment of a critical disease?” I had nothing to respond, nothing to express. Over some period, I lost track of Izhar and in the process, sorrowfully, lost him forever. It immensely hurts to recall that I could not be in constant touch with him. An occasional phone call or short message to enquire about his health was the only connect. In last sms, he wrote: ‘Keep praying for me’.  He, for sure, knew that this was the only thing I was doing for him, from a distance away.
When Izhar was shifted to SKIMS in a serious condition, I mustered courage to see him, finally. A frail body was struggling with grace. He opened his eyes for a fraction of second and did not say anything. He left many things unsaid. And he also left many things unheard. But with that agile glimpse, he subtly made his Izhar. He was conveying his worry about the apple of his eyes, his two wonderful daughters. He was relating to his brave parents whom he loved so much. And he was thinking about his better-half, whom he never wanted to be alone in the midst of a colossal tragedy.
I left the hospital with all obscurity, till I came to know that he had now nothing more to Izhar. I had hardly imagined that Izhar will prove to be a real dancing star, one day. The one that flickers even amidst the fatal chaos. The one that had the capacity to twinkle beyond the being.
Proving to be a courageous participant in the great play of life, Izhar was not just a simple passer-by. His quality work and good deeds cried for him. I remember when I profiled him, he said: “If you are going to be a tough and honest reporter and a good person, you have to be prepared to pay the price and not necessarily to expect a reward. You do the job for its own sake, because it is right thing to do. Ultimately, that protects you”.
Of course, he protected himself. He was excellently able to protect Izhar. His integrity and credibility was protected.
However, we the mortals could not protect him from the clutches of Death. We have lost a great friend, a great journalist.
His demise has brought home a harsh lesson of not staying in touch with our near and dear ones, for we never know that the moment we are with them may turn out to be the last moment. So, in the hour of crisis, we need to be with them before we lose them. Forever.
Today, I am again profiling him. But this time he is not around to give me inputs. Even the phone connect is gone. This can’t be his obituary. It is regrettably painful.
Let’s pray that we protect and preserve the values he stood for, all along. That can be the best tribute in his everlasting memory.

(The columnist teaches at Media Education Research Centre, MERC, University of Kashmir)

Lastupdate on : Sat, 7 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
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