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