07/02/2022
“Last year, my cousin’s family got their son, Shivam, engaged to a woman named Mehek. My cousin’s family and hers got along well and soon, preparations began for the engagement on 13th November.
But a day before their roka, Mehek’s ex, Karandeep, showed up. He met with the broker who helped arrange my cousin’s marriage. He shouted at him, ‘I’m in love with her!’ The broker panicked and called my family; we were shocked. A meeting was arranged between us, Karandeep and Mehek’s family. We learnt that Karandeep and Mahek had been in a relationship, but Mahek’s family didn’t approve of it. Mehek told us that she was committed to Shivam; after that Karandeep apologised and promised he’d never bother us again.
My brother Vishesh and I weren’t sold on his promise, but my cousin’s family went ahead with the union. After they moved in together, our neighbor told us that he’d spotted a man encircling our home after their engagement. It was Karandeep; he told us, ‘I’d got Mehek pregnant and she aborted our child!’ He added, ‘I’ve been to jail and I’ll kill Shivam if this marriage continues.’ Finally, our families contacted the police.
Mehek’s father filed an FIR against Karandeep. We even consulted the SSP and MLA of Pathankot. They got Karandeep to write a maafinama, ‘I will never come near your family again.’
But about 20 days later, as my brother Visheesh left his shop, 3 men on a bike shot him and fled. Papa held him as he called us, ‘Vishesh has been shot!’ Papa rushed Vishesh to the hospital and when I found out what happened, I broke down. Just that morning we were laughing together, we’d gone shopping and I had picked out clothes for him!
At the hospital, I saw Vishesh; I saw 2 bullets in his abdomen and one in his thigh. I had a few moments with Vishesh before his surgery; I gave him a thumbs up. And despite being in unimaginable pain, he nodded back.
After, I’d pray for Vishesh, hold his hand and tell him I loved him! But on the inside, I was fuming with anger; I knew Karandeep was behind this.
On December 16, Papa took me aside and said, ‘Vishesh is no more.’ My mind went blank. Everywhere I went, I saw Karandeep’s face thinking, ‘He took away my brother!’
When the police arrested Karandeep, he confessed to his crime. He said he’d hired 3 hitmen to murder Shivam, but the killers had mistaken Shivam for Vishesh and killed him instead. Our families were shattered.
After the shooting, Mehek and Shivam’s families broke the union. Mehek’s family apologized to us, but no apology can bring Vishesh back.
I break knowing I’ll never recieve Vishesh’s hugs again or hear him laugh. He was full of life; he had countless friends and enjoyed traveling; he was only 29. He was a loving husband and was looking forward to starting a family.
The police tell us that even though Karandeep rots in prison, the hitmen he hired are still out there. It’s heartbreaking to realize that my brother’s fate could be someone else’s too. I’m never going to give up finding my brother’s killers and getting ”