Aadil Left Home for Work, Returned in a Coffin

Gowhar Maqbool

Hajin, May 08: Silence hung heavy over Hajin on Friday as cries of grief echoed through its narrow lanes after three young cousins were laid to rest, hours after the River Jhelum swallowed them while they were washing tent equipment on its banks.
What was supposed to be a routine afternoon of work ended in a tragedy that shattered entire families and left the town drowning in sorrow.

Among the deceased was Aadil Ahmad, a young father whose six-month-old child will now grow up without ever truly knowing him. He leaves behind his wife, three sisters and a family that depended entirely on his earnings.
Relatives said the trio had gone to the riverbank in Hajin to wash tent material when one of them accidentally slipped into the water.

In an attempt to save him, the other two jumped into the river, but the powerful currents dragged them all away within moments.

“They went there to help each other earn a livelihood, not knowing they were walking towards death,” a relative said, his voice trembling with grief.
As news of the tragedy spread, hundreds rushed towards the riverbanks while rescue teams and locals searched frantically for the bodies. By evening, sorrow had consumed the entire town.
But the most heartbreaking scenes unfolded when Aadil’s body was brought home.
His sisters ran towards the coffin screaming his name, crying as if refusing to believe he was gone forever. One of them, unable to control her grief, wept before mourners and cried, “He was our only brother… now who will look after us? I will shoulder his coffin myself.”

Women were seen wailing and beating their chests as mourners filled the small courtyard of the family’s home. Neighbours tried to console the grieving sisters, but their cries only grew louder.

Aadil’s mother had passed away years ago, and relatives said he had since become the lone support for his sisters and family.

“He carried the burden of the whole household on his shoulders. His family lived on his earnings,” a relative said.
Another among the deceased had recently gotten engaged in a nearby village and was preparing for his wedding, relatives added.

On Friday morning, thousands of mourners participated in the funeral prayers of the trio. As their coffins passed through the streets of Hajin towards the graveyard, emotional scenes unfolded across the town.

Men struggled to hold back tears while women watched from windows and doorsteps, crying helplessly at the sight of three young lives gone too soon.
Many residents described the tragedy as one of the darkest days Hajin has witnessed in recent years.

“The river did not take away three boys alone,” an elderly mourner said softly. “It destroyed dreams, families and futures.”