After painful separation of about nine months on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, Gh. Mohammad Rather, an octogenarian, hugged his seven year old grandson Aabid Nazir passionately, at our home. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Little Aabid was busy playing with gray beard of his grandfather. The old man showered all his love on Aabid, for there was no one - neither father nor mother who would shower love and affection upon him.  We were left speechless by this rare scene.
Nazir Ahmad Rather, an energetic young man, lived at Arin, Bandipora, around 70 Kms from Srinagar in North Kashmir. The village is a beautiful hamlet surrounded by lush green mountains. A fresh water stream called Nallah Arin carves its way through this village. The fresh icy water of the stream serves as a heaven for rare trout fish and an elixir for the inhabitants.
Nazir grew up in these salubrious environs of this idyllic village. As a labourer he was bound to work dawn to dusk to fulfill the ever increasing needs of his family. By virtue of his hard work he was quite satisfied with his lot. Theirs was a happy family. Unfortunately, this state of life did not last long. The nature willed otherwise and then took a dramatic turn for the worst. Nazir was diagnosed with Leukemia. This shattered Nazir and his wife and other family members.  His fight against the disease drained out his available resources. At last he succumbed to the disease, and breathed his last on 15th Oct 2008. With this the responsibilities shifted to the feeble shoulders of the ailing old man. Shaken and broken by the death of his young son, the old man was forced by the circumstances to take care of his grand children and the widowed daughter in law. In the changed circumstances the young widow remarried. This put additional burden on the old man who was forced to manage the little orphans single handedly. However, the blessings of Allah came to his rescue and he came to know about Bait-ul-Hilal, a home for orphans run by J&K Yateem Foundation. There was a ray of hope for him. Finally, Aabid landed in the lap of Bait-ul-Hilal, Jawhar Nagar Srinagar. The old man was relieved to a great extent. Now every year he pays visit to Jawahar Nagar to see his grandson. Aabid too visits his ‘home’ on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. Presently Aabid studies in Oasis Public  High, Gogjibagh, Srinagar  in 3rd Grade. He has become familiar with Danish, Faisal  and other companions at  Bait-ul-Hilal. Instead of mother, he knows the warden. Instead of playing on the scenic embankments of Nallah Arin, with his brother Aamir, he now plays on the court yard of Bait-ul-Hilal. His world has shrunk from Bait-ul-Hilal to Oasis Public High School Gogji Bagh, Srinagar.  No doubt he receives utmost care and all facilities of the day, but what he lacks is the parental care and love. Had there been no Bait-ul-Hilal, what would have been the fate of Aabid?
Like Aabid & Aamir, we have lakhs of orphans, who need our helping hand.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 9 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 9 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST