Life couldn’t have been more cruel to 24-year-old Maimoona. A student of the convent school in Rajbagh area, she was forced to leave her studies to take care of her family and ailing mother.
Her marriage was slated to be held on September 17, but that seems uncertain now.
“Life has not been kind to my daughter...I don’t know what future holds for her,” said Basheer Ahmad Fargodoo, her father, who is a local tour operator.
His business had suffered due to the militancy. And despite staying in Rajbagh — a very posh quarters in the capital — the family is not well off.
Their single storey home is dwarfed by all the houses around. Now, it is submerged in water with most of their belongings rendered useless.
Maimoona refuses to talk. Her eyes fill with tears anytime someone mentions her marriage.
Her fiancé Altaf runs his own business. His family managed not to suffer as much as they live in a flood-prone area and hence, reacted quickly to the warning.
Marriages in Kashmir are an expensive affair. Basheer Ahmad had made all the advance payments, but items to be given in her marriage have either been washed away or rendered useless.
{{/usCountry}}Marriages in Kashmir are an expensive affair. Basheer Ahmad had made all the advance payments, but items to be given in her marriage have either been washed away or rendered useless.
{{/usCountry}}“Her marriage was fixed after much effort. Lets hope our family and the in-laws agree to a simple wedding, so we marry our daughter off,” said Basheer.