Death couldn’t take them apart

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 21

Two UP-based brothers – Girinder Kumar (40) and Pawan Kumar (35) — residing at New Dashmesh Nagar, who had been working hard as fruit vendors for over 15 years in the city, died in the Joda Phatak tragedy here on Friday.

Their families say they had a unique chemistry perhaps because of which even death could not do them apart. They came together from UP, were engaged in the same trade for years, put up a common, moderate house a few years ago and always went together wherever they had to, even to the Dasehra mela (fair) on Friday.

Another tragic part is that Girinder’s son Deepak Kumar saw his dad dying before him. “Dad and uncle were together while I and my brother Pardeep Kumar were with our friends. We saw the train crushing my dad and uncle in front of us. There was no time for us to reach out to them just a few metres away to push them away to safety. As the train crossed, we went out to see them but could not spot them for about 10 unending minutes because of the panic that erupted.

When we saw them, uncle Pawan had already dead and my dad was breathing with severe head injuries. We lifted him to take him to hospital. He was unconscious all the way. The doctors at Guru Nanak Hospital declared him dead,” recalled Deepak.

Deepak, who is in the last year of his BSc Hotel Management, realises a big responsibility in front of him. “I am the eldest man in the family left behind. I do not know how things will work for us.”

In adjoining Dashmesh Nagar, Pardeep, who had come from Gazipur to be with his brother Ram Vilas and sister-in-law Urmila, who had recently delivered a baby, died in the train accident. Pardeep was carrying his three-year-old nephew Sarthak, when the tragedy struck the family. Ram Vilas is a factory labourer.

Togetherness

• Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Girinder Kumar and Pawan Kumar had been residing at New Dashmesh Nagar and working as fruit vendors for over 15 years in the city. 
• Their families say they had a unique chemistry perhaps because of which even death could not do them apart. 
• They came together from UP, were engaged in the same trade for years, put up a common, moderate house a few years ago and always went together wherever they had to.
• They went together to the Dasehra mela (fair) at Joda Phatak and lost their lives.