Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Why Iffat?
Dear Friends,
This blog is created in the fond memory of my dear friend Iffat Kamal (who many of us fondly called Simmi) and for others she was Dr. Iffat Kamal (MD, MRCP, FRCP).........Her shocking, sad and untimely death has deeply deeply affected all her close friends and family, and also people who knew her remotely and even those who probably did not know her at all, but read about the greusome manner in which she was killed.....parents who've got daughters married or living alone abroad are deeply shaken up by what happened to Simmi. "If it could happen to her, it could happen to our daughters too" is their biggest fear now.
When one thinks of Iffat, her ever smiling face and bubbling persona, her exceptional intellect and humility made Iffat stand out head and shoulders above the rest of us...... I myself am a non-medico and would not know what it takes to achieve all the various degrees and positions that she did at such a young age. All I know is that for 38 of her 39 years of life, this girl kept studying and clearing one exam after the other, undeterred. For me, Iffat was a bundle of joy, a normal girl who loved to talk about her favourite Indian film stars, movies, clothes, shopping, which face wash to use etc. etc.............."Oh Sumita, I am using this great face wash these days, you know Julia Roberts uses this brnad and vouches for it, it's 100% organic, no chemicals.....next time when I visit India I must bring some for you". This was in October of 08 when Iffat was visiting home and I along with my son visited Lucknow to be with her, Areeb and Ayan (Iffat's adorable sons). I discovered a very different side of Iffat in this trip, two children, each pulling her from different sides (especially Ayan the little one who kept saying "Mommy, bhai pitti"....help me get this sword from bhai, I want to play with it....and Simmi jumping in telling Areeb "de do beta, chota bhai hai".....and in the midst of all the chaos, Simmi continues to smile ofcourse.
For the past 10 years or more, Iffat had been juggling between all the extremely demainding studies, job pressure, managing her trips to India to be with Areeb (which was 2-3 times a year) and later when Ayan came along, managing Ayan in Dundee along with a house that she ran with barely any support from her husband....I actually don't even feel like mentioning the husband here at all since the very thought of him, makes my head spin.....he cannot be called a husband, the only term to describe him is a "beast" - actually NO, even animals would not do what he did to Simmi. After what happened to Simmi, my faith in the justice of God is shaken up, I just hope that the British courts have a better sense of justice that the Almighty.
One cannot describe in words the amount of agony, pain and sorrow that one witnessed during Simmi's burial. While, we've all come away, back to our lives and realities, for Aunty (Simmi's mom) and brother Amir, the pain and suffering gets worse with each passing day. Each time Aunty and I talk on the phone, Aunty keeps breaking down saying "she cannot bear the pain any more". I remain speechless, while tears continue to fall from my eyes. Aunty keeps repeating "this was my time to go, not Simmi's.....this was her time to finally enjoy life and enjoy her children".
Missing you.........can't you come back........!
Sumita
This blog is created in the fond memory of my dear friend Iffat Kamal (who many of us fondly called Simmi) and for others she was Dr. Iffat Kamal (MD, MRCP, FRCP).........Her shocking, sad and untimely death has deeply deeply affected all her close friends and family, and also people who knew her remotely and even those who probably did not know her at all, but read about the greusome manner in which she was killed.....parents who've got daughters married or living alone abroad are deeply shaken up by what happened to Simmi. "If it could happen to her, it could happen to our daughters too" is their biggest fear now.
When one thinks of Iffat, her ever smiling face and bubbling persona, her exceptional intellect and humility made Iffat stand out head and shoulders above the rest of us...... I myself am a non-medico and would not know what it takes to achieve all the various degrees and positions that she did at such a young age. All I know is that for 38 of her 39 years of life, this girl kept studying and clearing one exam after the other, undeterred. For me, Iffat was a bundle of joy, a normal girl who loved to talk about her favourite Indian film stars, movies, clothes, shopping, which face wash to use etc. etc.............."Oh Sumita, I am using this great face wash these days, you know Julia Roberts uses this brnad and vouches for it, it's 100% organic, no chemicals.....next time when I visit India I must bring some for you". This was in October of 08 when Iffat was visiting home and I along with my son visited Lucknow to be with her, Areeb and Ayan (Iffat's adorable sons). I discovered a very different side of Iffat in this trip, two children, each pulling her from different sides (especially Ayan the little one who kept saying "Mommy, bhai pitti"....help me get this sword from bhai, I want to play with it....and Simmi jumping in telling Areeb "de do beta, chota bhai hai".....and in the midst of all the chaos, Simmi continues to smile ofcourse.
For the past 10 years or more, Iffat had been juggling between all the extremely demainding studies, job pressure, managing her trips to India to be with Areeb (which was 2-3 times a year) and later when Ayan came along, managing Ayan in Dundee along with a house that she ran with barely any support from her husband....I actually don't even feel like mentioning the husband here at all since the very thought of him, makes my head spin.....he cannot be called a husband, the only term to describe him is a "beast" - actually NO, even animals would not do what he did to Simmi. After what happened to Simmi, my faith in the justice of God is shaken up, I just hope that the British courts have a better sense of justice that the Almighty.
One cannot describe in words the amount of agony, pain and sorrow that one witnessed during Simmi's burial. While, we've all come away, back to our lives and realities, for Aunty (Simmi's mom) and brother Amir, the pain and suffering gets worse with each passing day. Each time Aunty and I talk on the phone, Aunty keeps breaking down saying "she cannot bear the pain any more". I remain speechless, while tears continue to fall from my eyes. Aunty keeps repeating "this was my time to go, not Simmi's.....this was her time to finally enjoy life and enjoy her children".
Missing you.........can't you come back........!
Sumita
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