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Wednesday, Feb 25, 2009
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National

“I have a lifetime of tears ahead of me”

Meena Menon

Tetari Devi’s husband died in firing at Mumbai CST

MUMBAI: Bechan Ramprasad Gupta (50) used to earn a living selling bakery products. Every morning he left his home in a sprawling migrants’ colony in Mumbai suburbs, for sale of biscuits and puff. But November 26, 2008 changed all that.

Gupta, well known in the neighbourhood, usually visited his family at Nagra in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh once a year during Holi.

But he decided to go in November last as there was some family dispute.

He was to catch a train that night at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) along with two friends. One of them had gone to a ticket counter and luck was on his side. Gupta and the other friend heard sounds of firing by terrorists and tried to dive to the ground. But it was too late. Gupta was shot in the head while his friend was hit by three bullets. He was in a coma in hospital for a week before his death.

It was only the next morning that Gupta’s wife Tetari Devi and sons Mukesh (18) and Rajesh (16) came to know about the incident and it took them two days to come here. Her elder daughter has been married. Tetari Devi says he had been living here since their marriage almost 20 years ago.

“When I saw him his eyes were closed. He was robbed of his money and only his mobile was there. His friend, who was shot, survived,” she says.

“My husband had studied up to 12th class. He wanted my children too to study. My daughter is also educated. I am so worried about the education of my sons. Who will educate them now?”

Facing an uncertain future, she says: “I don’t know where I will get support from.”

Though the compensation amount has arrived, she is yet to open a bank account. She needs to collect various documents that prove her identity and residence. “Now I will stay here for a while and then maybe return to the village. I can spend some time in both places. This is my husband’s house. I came to Mumbai only once before when my sons were small.”

Mukesh is now running around for a job, which the Railways have promised. Every morning he has to do the rounds and paperwork.

Tetari Devi’s brother-in-law too lives in Gupta’s house. Earlier it was made of mud. Now it has been rebuilt with two rooms. “Every year, my husband came home once. This time it was supposed to be for only for a week. He was a good, kind man and very understanding,” she says.

“Now I have a lifetime of tears ahead of me. I have so many worries I can’t sleep at night. My children cry all the time. For over two months I have not slept, I keep thinking all the time. There is so much tension, my hair has turned grey,” she says.

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