Lives gone, void remains

Sangita Sharma doesn’t want the Rs 6 lakh that the government has given to the family as compensation. “What will this money do?” says Sangita, widow of AK Sharma, who was killed in the high court blast last week.

Sangita Sharma doesn’t want the Rs 6 lakh that the government has given to the family as compensation. “What will this money do?” says Sangita, widow of AK Sharma, who was killed in the high court blast last week.

“All I want is a job. The figure may seem like an adequate amount to some people but I have three children to raise (one son and two daughters), all of who are studying,” she added.

Sangita was, like her husband, removed from her job as an upper division clerk in the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan.

“My husband always fought for the truth, he exposed the wrongdoings of many high-ups in the department and that is why our services were terminated. All I ask for is, give my job back. I still have nine years of service remaining,” she said.

The atmosphere in the house has been somber for the last one week. All three children are writing their exams with the shadow of the blasts hovering over their heads. While Rishabh’s (14) social science exam on Tuesday went ‘okay’ Damini’s (17) mathematics paper was ‘horrible’.

For the last three years, the family has had no steady source of income. Sangita had to sell her jewellery to pay the annual fee of her eldest daughter, Surabhi. While both the daughters are prepared to face the challenge posed by life — Surabhi wants to do an MBA and Damini want to become an IPS officer — Rishabh has lost his dreams. The Class 9 student wanted to become a freestyle swimmer but after Sharma’s death he has stopped dreaming.

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