Survivor cringes at the sight of blood

Seven-year-old Arshad Khan cringes in fear at any loud noise. The usually cheerful boy goes into a cocoon at the mere sight of blood.

Arshad barely missed death at Ajmer earlier this week. It was the first time he had been to the shrine.

His uncle, Mohammad Shoyab was killed in the blasts, and Arshad had to help his aunt identify his uncle’s charred body. “I saw my uncle lie still beside me, with blood all over his white kurta-pyjama. I never imagined he would be killed,” said Arshad. 

“We are lucky Arshad is alive. Minutes after the blasts, I found him wailing in a pool of blood,” said Tajunnisa, 45, Arshad’s aunt.

Arshad was admitted to KEM hospital on Saturday night. Arshad’s body has injury marks all over and his right hand is burnt. His family has decided to wait until Arshad recovers before sending him back to school.

For the extended family living at Hussaini Chawl in Sewri, Eid was a day of mourning. They have seen two deaths this year—Shoyab had lost his daughter to pneumonia in July.

“Allah has been unkind to us, but the fact that Arshad survived the blasts may be a hint that the future holds good things for us,” said Mohammed Sharif, 52, the eldest of the siblings.