West Delhi fire: Victims' kin stare at uncertain future
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Payal, 19, the youngest victim of the fire, was one of five sisters who cared for their mother after their father passed away. The sole breadwinner of her family, Payal was supporting the education of her two sisters. Her mother, Prema, squatting outside the mortuary, wailed while calling out her daughter's name time and again. "She studied political science and her dream was to become a police officer," said Vandana, Payal's sister.
"She wanted to go on a vacation for her upcoming birthday in Sept."
Among the deceased was 33-year-old Ravi, the only earning member in a family of eight. A father of two, a seven-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son, Ravi's relatives said that he worked hard to build his career. He would leave his home as early as 9am every day and come back late as he hustled hard to take care of his elderly parents and two younger brothers.
His father, Ashok Kumar, sat shaken by the loss. "How can I put into words what it is like for a father to lose his son?" he grieved.
Amandeep Kaur, 21, had to quit her education in the first year of her undergraduation course and start working. But she still held on to her dreams of studying someday again in the future as she earned for the family as a cashier. "With my daughter, every dream she had is gone," said her father Jagjit Singh as tears streamed down his face.
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Holding tightly on Singh's arm was Rajesh Gupta, 22-year-old Aayushi's uncle. "Our children had all just gone for lunch together when something this unimaginable happened," he said. Native to Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, Aayushi worked as an accountant for a salary of not more than Rs 14,000. Frustrated at many issues in her workplace, she planned to quit her job and start a new chapter of her life. She was looking at admissions for further education.
"We insisted that she pushed and continued working at least till Diwali," Gupta recalled in regret.
Aayushi's father, Sanjay Gupta, broke down and was inconsolable as he sat silently in a corner. His daughter had planned her birthday celebrations, including a visit to the Khatu Shyam temple in Rajasthan with her brother-in-law for her birthday on Sept 8 when tragedy struck.
Present at the time of the incident was Surinder Gupta, 34, who runs a sweet and snack shop near the store. "I saw people gathering amid the chaos near the store and I also ran towards that spot," he said. Gupta added that the group of colleagues who were victims of the blaze used to frequently visit his shop for lunch. "I saw them only the previous day. I could have never imagined that I would have to see their bodies being taken away a day later.
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