Death of any human can stir tears. And if someone dies young, the grief not only wells up  the eyes, but shakes the soul also. When I heard about Zaheer’s death I could not, but wail out the opening stanza of the Shelly’s elegy on Keats. Even though “his fate and fame shall be an echo and a light unto eternity, I felt as though light had gone out of my life!”He was my student, and I taught him English speaking skills, one year ago, at NUML.

John Donne passionately wailed, ‘death of any human diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind.”It is far truer  for a teacher, since sudden death of any of his student diminishes him. And Zaheer was no ordinary student. Elegantly dressed up, wearing a broad smile at his face, Zaheer would always greet me in the class with attendance register in his hands, for he was the CR of the class—not because he was the senior most, he was hardly twenty some—but because he had an  extra ordinary sense of responsibility and willingness to accept  the  challenges.

Such was the charisma and genteel personality of Zaheer that his classmates, many of them much more senior to him, age and experience-wise, would hold him in high esteem. Such was the appealing force in him that everyone, friends and teachers alike, would yearn to greet him. Never did I find him without enthusiasm and brimming curiosity to participate in the class. The diploma course which Zaheer was participating in, came to an end  rather quickly, but our bond grew sterner.

Quite infrequently, Zaheer would send me beauteous texts on my cell phone and always ask for prayers for him. Though, the students like Zaheer do not really need to ask for prayers, for the souls like him, sincere prayers themselves spring out—for their success and safety. But heaven has different designs, other schemes to unfold. Some prayers are rewarded with in heaven, not on earth.

Two weeks ago beeped my mobile. ” I m leaving for my hometown after three years, messaged Zaheer. With my heart my pounding, (cannot really explain why), I managed to write “fee ama nillah”. Little did I know that Zaheer would never text me again, call me anymore.

It was only after three days when I read a wailing story in the newspaper crying the death of Zaheer and two other passengers heading their homeward in Baltisatan. He perished in mountains, the young, the handsome Zaheer. Angles must have received you. May heaven be your eternal abode, o ye  the son of an ill- fated mother.

The saddening death of Zaheer also refreshed the tragedy of Haider, my 9^th grade student of Beaconhouse (BEC),two and half years ago.Willowy Haider, in his late teens, was an upright soul. His eyes down, and an innocent smile at his face, Haider would always greet every teacher with deep respect.  His chest naturally expanded, he would walk so impressively, wave so manly.

Vividly, I remember Haider standing with his peers, all clad in colourful outfits, to participate in annual funfair. There was a bandana tied around his head, his cloud black hair dancing  with the breeze. However, there was an eerie paleness at his face. Nobody knew, Haider would leave them the next day—for ever.

When we reached at campus the next morning, every eye was wet. With a mournful voice ,one of his friends, asked for prayers for  the life of Haider. He was lying in ICU ward at CMH, unconscious.” plenty of blood has drained out of his body,” bewailed the student. Speechless, I stood there for long.

After almost an hour, we, the teachers and his fellow friends, were there at Harder’s home, he  smiled no more ,   spoke   no more. His grave was too young.Grief stricken, when I came back home, I thought of looking at the tests of his class IXC.C. The first term exams had just finished and we had to mark the papers. While marking Hider’s creative writing   part, my pen came to an abrupt halt. Haider had carved the names of two teachers who fascinated him the most. One was his sports teacher Mr.Khurram and the other was I. For a while, the earth seemed to be spinning in opposite direction. Light of my life appeared to be diminishing too.  Allah  may bless the departed souls with paradise.