Accident victim Apoorva given a teary adieu by relatives, friends

Aparna Banerji

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 17

In the Model Town locality here where she resided with her family, Apoorva Juneja (22) was known as a shy, sweet-natured girl who respected her parents a lot.

Called Guggoo by her family, Apoorva’s parents had no idea on her birthday a month ago (August 23) that it would be her last.

Wails and grieving relatives as well as neighbours, shocked with her sudden demise in an accident this afternoon queued to her home, even as her parents unaware of anything else, wept inconsolably as the news dawned on one them that they had lost their only daughter in an accident. Soon after bringing her body from Hoshiarpur, they took it to be cremated this evening.

Having started pursuing a degree in law just two months ago at the PU Regional Campus at Hoshiarpur, the loss of Guggoo was as sad for her family as for her neighbours – many of them dear friends – who swore by her sweet nature and her unwavering respect for her parents.

The scene at her cremation was pensive as wailing family members came to terms with the loss. While she was the youngest among all the kids in her maternal family, both among friends and family and her cousins who doted her, the news was devastating.

While her family members were unable to speak or react, neighbours said her parents planned to give her the best of education and supported her firmly to clear her law degree. Her father Ashish Juneja works with the LIC and mother Meenakshi, is a housewife.

A teary-eyed neighbour Gurpreet said, “For all of us, it was a huge shock. People like her are rare and clearly a daughter like her is rare. She was shy, but calm patient and friendly. Her parents held a havan at her recent birthday and her mother often said that she was the best daughter in the world. She wouldn’t even go out of the house without asking her parents.”

Neighbour Kiran and a good friend of her said, “Her mother repeatedly told us how she always kept telling her family members – her mother, father and dada ji (grandfather) to take care of themselves. Before leaving for studies every morning, she would make sure her grandfather took his medicines on time.”

Neighbour Mahek said, “She was very religious and believed in the power of prayer. People often quoted her example in the neighbourhood as the perfect daughter. Among her two maasis (maternal aunts), two buas (paternal aunts), mama (maternal uncle) and other relatives who stayed in the city as well, she was greatly loved.”

While Approva did her schooling from Innocent Hearts School, she pursued graduation from the Apeejay College of Fine Arts and was now pursuing law.