When a young life comes to a sudden end...

Chala giya vo humain chor kar dur kaheen
Vo aik beta jo piyara tha ab hai nur kaheen
Nau javani main jo Allah ko ho giya piyara
Chamak raha hai taroon main vo zaroor kaheen

A nephew of mine in the USA died a few days back in a head-on car accident. He was visiting his parents in spring break. The man in the other car also died on the spot. He had a wife and two young kids. I can imagine how devastated my cousin and his wife must be -- Asim was their only son; and, I am sure in no less measure it has also been painful for the family of the other driver.
My own daughter is currently an exchange student in the US. She had her own plans for the spring break. I was feeling something out of the ordinary on that day. As if something was not right. I remember when she started her travel to the suburbs of Washington DC from the outskirts of Chicago, to be with my brother and his family, where my another nephew and some of my relatives live, I couldn't help but send a little message, two words that I had never said, written or spoken to her before, just as she got on the bus to O'Hara; be safe. That was Friday, the 16Th of March. Young Asim met his maker on Saturday.
I never met the young man but his father, my cousin Tariq, has been close to me. His father is a very amiable person. He has met me several times in his travels to my part of the world. Despite having risen to a senior executive position at a major airline he has retained his simple ways about himself. No airs, no hang ups... just the plain old Tariq bhai. He didn't deserve this devastation. It is very unfair to such a loving person. I met his wife just once. It was soon after they got married and were making their way back to US.
She was a newly wed and together they seemed a match made in the heavens. How on earth can anyone find words to comfort Sadia bhabi in her moment of grief.
We have two kids of our own -- a boy and a girl. We have always talked about Tariq bhai and Sadia bhabi also having a daughter and a son. I have looked up to him so long as I remember since he treated me the same always, with genuine love and care. I have very fond memories of being driven around Chicago by him in his American car. He used to drive coast to coast and live out of the trunk of his car when he was a student. I enjoyed listening to tales of his travels to various far and remote out posts in the USA and one of those was a trip of his to Alaska, if I remember correctly.
Not having met Asim ever makes no difference. I grieve and pray for him. I see Asim in his father's image. One very precious young life is lost forever and those who loved him unconditionally have to come to terms with it.
How? God only knows!