'Arathi madam is like my sister, I'm not able to hold back my sorrow'; Kashmir native Musafir speaks to Kerala Kaumudi

KOCHI: "From that moment, Arathi madam became my sister, sir. I did everything I could to help. Even now, I can't hold back my sorrow," said taxi driver Mohammad Musafir from Srinagar, Kashmir, in a telephone conversation with Kerala Kaumudi. He spoke in both Hindi and English.

Kochi native N. Ramachandran and his family were traveling in Musafir’s taxi in Pahalgam when the tragic incident occurred. When Ramachandran was shot and fell, it was Musafir and his friend Sameer who stood by his daughter Arathi and the children. They stayed with Arathi in front of the morgue until early the next morning.

When her father was killed, Arathi clutched her children, Drupad and Kedar, and ran through the pine forests. The first person she called was Musafir, who immediately rushed over and took them with him.

"We struggled a lot to keep the news from the mother, who was still in the car. Arathi madam remained silent, unable even to cry. We had to assist her with the police procedures. It was overwhelming. Sameer and I went together to the hospital where the postmortem was conducted," Musafir said.

At the airport, Arathi told them, "May Allah protect you." At that moment, the boundaries of language and region disappeared.

A few days earlier, a family friend, Rajendra Prasad, who had visited Kashmir, had shared wonderful experiences with Ramachandran. That’s how Ramachandran and his family decided to visit. Musafir had arranged the hotel bookings too. He had even taken selfies with the children.

Later, Arathi sent a message to Musafir, informing him about Ramachandran’s funeral and other details.