HYDERABAD: Earning money to support family and helping parents marry off three elder sisters were the big goals for a lad of 11 years. But Sameer was confident of accomplishing these tasks, come what may.

But the boy did not live to realise his dreams. Sameer died, along with eight others, in the bomb explosion at Mecca Masjid.

Call it sixth sense or sheer coincidence, the boy told his mother, a few days before the blast incident, that he would die, if necessary for family's sake.

"I don't know what made him say those words. Probably, the almighty was indicating about the imminent danger through his words," says his mother Naseem Begum amidst sobs.

On the fateful day, Sameer was naughty — jumping, running and shouting.

The boy's mischievous acts angered her and in exasperation, she shouted at him saying whether he wanted her to die. Apparently annoyed, Sameer ran to her, closed her mouth with his hands pleading with her not to say anything more. "Never say that again. If necessary, I'll give my life but you should live to look after others," the anguished boy told her.

Sameer's father Mohd. Mahboob, a locksmith, went to Saudi Arabia three months ago on a work permit. The boy was the youngest of five siblings — three sisters and a brother. Initially, he was admitted in a local English medium school.

With much difficulty he could pay the fee till second standard.

Pecuniary problems forced him to send his son to a madarsa in Langer Houz. Sameer used to come home every Thursday and return to the madarsa the next day.

Recently, he broke his fingers while playing and had come home for rest.

Fateful Friday

On the fateful Friday when he set out for `Zohar' prayers, his mother insisted that he should go to Chowk mosque instead of the Mecca Masjid. For some reason, he preferred the masjid and was offering prayers near the `taqt' when the bomb went off.

A severely injured Sameer was taken to a private hospital where he died undergoing treatment.

Sameer may not be alive to support his family.

But even in death, he achieved his goal when the Government handed over a cheque for Rs. 5 lakh to his family members as compensation.

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