A Jain And A Muslim Family Break Bread And Barriers Together In Meerut. By Betwa Sharma

By Dilip -
On that fateful evening in 1987, all Jain wanted was to get home to his wife. Jain recalled that he could hear his heart pounding the whole time he was perched on the back of a motorcycle, clinging to his friend and colleague, Mohammad Khan who steered them through the Muslim neighborhoods of the old city. Forsaking the customary hustle and bustle, the familiar markets and streets had for weeks been sporting a menacing silence. 

It was near the Karam Ali Chowk that Jain heard someone cry out, "Jain saab!" In the split second that Jain craned his neck in the direction of the voice, they were surrounded by a Muslim mob that quite literally moved in for the kill. Jain said, "Khan pushed them back and begged them to come to their senses. Thankfully, a few men who knew Khan also rushed to the spot to save him. They held off the crowd to let us escape."

The 61-year-old continued, "He risked his own life to save mine that day. I will never forget it."
As Jain's voice trailed off, his wife, Lata, a woman with a formidable presence, chimed in, "My husband is alive today because of Khan and I'm grateful." The near-death experience which he shared with Khan had a profound impact on Jain and his family. It catapulted his relationship with Khan from the realm of friendship to that of family, with the women and children on both sides forging a special bond as well.

When Khan died of cancer a few years later, Jain took his son under his wing and later made him a partner in the business that he had founded with his father. I met the younger Khan when he stopped by Jain's house after attending the evening prayer at a local mosque. The dapper-looking man in his fifties told me, "More than a partner, Jain saab has always been like an elder brother to me. In times of joy and sorrow, they are always the first at our gate and we are always the first at their gate."

When Jain's son got married, the invitation cards included the name of the younger Khan and his wife as the hosts. It was a gesture which had greatly moved the Khan family. "I will do the same when my children get married," he said. "Our business may change in the years to come, but our relations won't.".. read more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2018/01/05/defying-xenophobia-in-meerut-a-jain-and-a-muslim-family-break-bread-and-barriers-together_a_23323723/?utm_hp_ref=in-homepage


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