They were just children. What did they do to deserve this?

No parent is prepared for a day like today; no parent should ever have to hear the words that your child is no more.

Naima Lazarus September 24, 2013
The twin bombs that exploded on Sunday at All Saints Church, Peshawar, killed more than 90 people, injured nearly 150 others, and emotionally scarred thousands more.

Investigations are under way while recovery and treatment has begun for the injured and their families. For some, healing will be swift while others may take small steps over months, maybe even years. Many more might never fully recover from this tragedy.

The most heartbreaking of this and such tragedies is the number of young lives lost in these attacks. Since the blast took place on Sunday, the All Saints Church was packed to the brim with Christians from the locality; many of them students, volunteers, youth leaders, activists and Sunday school children. These were children we all knew, if not in person, at least by face. Even now as I close my eyes, I can visualise the happy little angels skipping through the church doors.

It is therefore, with great sorrow and a heavy heart that I share my memories of Neha and Eshaan.

Since the blast, I have not had a moment’s peace as I keep remembering how they used to make me laugh at their playful antics. Today I realised that the only way to alleviate my pain, even if a little bit, is by sharing their story.

These little victims of the senseless violence that rocked Peshawar in general and the Christian community in particular, were gems treasured by their parents, family, friends and teachers alike.

As he did after every Sunday mass, Eshaan was playing near the church gate with his friends. Little was he to know that this was the last time he would pray in church, play with his friends, tease his sister or hug his mother. His head was ripped off by the blast and his sister Neha, who was running after him at the time, was so traumatised by the sight that her little heart gave in and she collapsed next to Eshaan’s torn body.

I cannot even begin to imagine what Eshaan and Neha’s parents must be feeling right now.  I can’t imagine the horror that any parent would feel upon hearing such news – that their two young children, the apples of their eyes, the stars in their life – are no more. There can be nothing more traumatic than raising your children, caring for them, loving them and already dreaming of their future only to have them ripped away from you.

In Eshaan and Neha’s case, the situation was worsened because their father, Insar, was in the United States at the time of the blast. In a cracked voice, he said over the phone,
“They were little angels sent down to me to love and protect. Like most fathers, I was often over-protective and sometimes downright clingy. After all, my children were my treasure.”

His voice completely broke then, and all we heard for a few minutes was the heart-wrenching weeping of a man in physical and emotional trauma. Mustering up his strength, he said,
“No parent should ever have to encounter a day like today; no parent should ever have to hear the words that your child is no more. Parents are never prepared to lose their children, not even children who have a terminal illness. Then how do I deal with something I did not even have an inkling of?”

After every few minutes of crying and talking about his children, he repeated, almost like a mantra,
“If only I was in Pakistan.”

While their father is in the US and has not been able to catch a flight back home yet, their mother, Uzma, is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). She still has no idea of what happened to her children.

Remembering his children, Insar says,
“Children change our life. They show us new ways to love, new things to find joy in, and new ways to look at the world.”

However, for Insar and Uzma the world has become dark and empty. This one incident has taken the light of their lives away and every room, every toy, every scribble will bring back painful memories. Their only wish will be to turn back time and see their children one last time, hold them tight and kiss their glowing faces. There will be times when getting through the day will feel like torture.

All we can do is pray that with time, these memories will become less painful and that one day, Insar and Uzma will begin to re-build their lives. We hope that they will learn to carry with them, happy memories of the love they shared with their precious children, even if it was for such a short time.
WRITTEN BY:
Naima Lazarus Student of International Relations, who says it like it is. She blogs at naimalazarus.wordpress.com and tweets @NaimaLazarus (https://twitter.com/NaimaLazarus)
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (20)

NOBODY | 10 years ago | Reply shame shame .. shame on us. Usually the children, women and old aged people are spared whenever the troops invade any place... or if there is a war fought. It doesn't matter which religion these cowards belong to or what they intend to achieve... solution is simple: Shoot them!
Parvez | 10 years ago | Reply That was a very effective piece of writing. I feel a time has been reached to call a spade-a-spade. The central problem here is RELIGION...........and if it is being used for political ends, as it clearly is, those of the same religion must stand up and put a stop to it. If not, then accept that Islam is not a tolerant religion and all the values mouthed by many Muslims is sheer hypocrisy.
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