New Delhi: Next month’s birthday celebration that 13-year-old Krish was eagerly looking forward to is now touch and go as he fights for life in a hospital bed, a victim of shooting on Thursday. Rishabh, 16, his cousin, was the driving force behind their family’s Diwali preparations from decorations to matching outfits. But as the family was preparing to celebrate Diwali in the new house in Shahdara‘s Farsh Bazar that they had moved into just six months ago came the tragedy.
Three women’s lives are intertwined in the tragedy. Deepali, Rishabh’s mother, has lost her teenaged son. Shaily, Krish’s mother, lost her husband, Akash, and is unsure of her son’s future. Akash’s elderly mother is dealing with the loss of her son and grandson, having already endured the pain of her husband’s death.
The deceased, Akash Sharma, 40, and his older brother, Yogesh, were property dealers who also dabbled in financing and owned a cosmetics shop in the locality. They were successful businessmen with plans to expand, and neighbours and relatives noted that they were doing well, which is why they were able to afford a new house right next to their old home.
Meenu Devi, the family’s immediate neighbour, said, “Krish was so playful that there was hardly an hour when I didn’t see him in the street with his friends. He was an extremely active and cheerful child.” Her sister-in-law, Renu, added, “Rishabh was the same. There were times we needed something from the local shop and he wouldn’t hesitate to help. It’s heartbreaking to think of a mother’s pain in this situation, watching her son die this way. The entire neighbourhood considered him their own child.”
Yogesh, Akash’s older brother and Rishabh’s father, shared, “I was on the first floor of the house bursting crackers. They went down to the street to set off more fireworks. I wish I were with my brother and my son so I could have protected them or done something. But everything happened so quickly.”
Yogesh continued, “We are a very close-knit family. My son loved Akash like a father, so he ran to confront the attacker and was shot. Rishabh was a brave boy who wasn’t afraid, but now I wish he hadn’t been so courageous given how things turned out. Neighbours tell us he even managed to grab hold of the assailant and that’s when he was shot. My wife and I are devastated. No father can ever recover from the loss of a young son. He was in Class XI. He had bigger dreams than any of us could think of and it’s tragic to see him leave us so early.”
Neighbours remarked that the family is well-established and is known for helping those in need. Riyaz, Akash’s close friend since childhood, said, “We used to call him Chotu; he was like a brother to me. He took care of his family after his father passed away and built this house on his own. We saw the effort he put into buying the new home.”
Shaily is struggling with the unbearable grief of facing a future without her husband while watching their son fight for survival. Eyewitnesses reported that after her husband was shot, Shaily screamed for help and tried to lift him and take him to hospital. Sadly, he had already lost too much blood by then.
