Sporting spirit

In the last week of February I attended the funeral of Shireen Kiash a former national champion representing India in hockey, basket ball and cricket.

A very gentle and kind-hearted lady, ever helpful, she married her childhood friend, Khushroo Kiash, from the Bow Bazar area of Calcutta. Both of them had to struggle to come up in life. Khushroo joined the Shipping Corporation as a fourth engineer and rose to become a chief engineer. After marriage they migrated to Australia and opted for Australian citizenship. While their grown up children are in Australia, a few years ago Khushroo was deputed to work on the development of the Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal.

Five years ago, out of the blue, Shirin developed brain tumor and finally passed away in coma.

When one saw her in bed, one wondered why such a thing should befall a nice and gentle lady. My mother’s words came to mind: "Hazaro pandit, karodo shayane, khuda ke baten, khuda hi jane (there are thousands of scholars and crores of wise men but only God knows his workings).”

After the funeral was over I saw a sight which moved me to tears. Khushroo, as his last gesture of love for his wife, had put on the all-white khandhia uniform and joined the pallbearers to carry his beloved wife up the slope from Hodiwala Bungli to the entrance of the dakhma, despite being a heart patient. (In Calcutta and other places volunteers do the job of pallbearers and are respected by the community.)

Z. M. ZEND