Mother Noorjahan was sobbing inconsolably while her daughter-in-law was in a state of stupor as the family of Shahnawaz, who was thrashed to death in a road rage incident, grieved at their residence in central Delhi's Chandni Mahal area.
Shahnawaz, 38, was allegedly beaten to death in front of his two minor children by a group of men after his motorcycle grazed their car in central Delhi's Turkman Gate last night.
Disbelief was writ large on 13-year-old Fahad's face, who along with his 9-year-old younger brother Kaif had pleaded with the attackers to save their father, in vain.
"The silencer of our bike had barely touched the car but they beat up my father badly," was all Fahad could mutter to a large posse of journalists.
The victim's wife Farzana (33), in a state of shock, was becoming unconscious every few minutes.
Her father-in-law, 60-year-old Salauddin, for whom the death came as a double blow after losing his son-in-law, was finding it difficult to hide his emotions even as he repeatedly attempted to console his terrified grandsons.
For Noorjahan, the sight of her bloodied son lying on the road minutes after the incident was like a recurring nightmare.
"Since my son-in-law passed away, Shahnawaz with his family have been visiting us every night. Last night was no different. After dinner he had dropped Farzana and my granddaughter (Talbia) at his place in Mata Sundari Road and had returned to take my grandsons," she said
But last night when little Fahad and Kaif came running to her with the news that their father had got into a fight, she braced herself for the worst but not his death for she had fed him food "only minutes ago".
