Rajeev Ranjan / Bhagalpur

Each hard-working migrant worker longs to visit his family and home for festivals and other social occasions. Virendra Paswan, who sold golgappas at Lal Chowk in Srinagar city of Jammu and Kashmir, was also looking forward to visiting home and celebrating the festival of Dussehra with his family in Bhagalpur, Bihar.

Fate unfolded differently for him. Ten days before he was planning to be with his family, Virender Paswan was silenced by a terrorist's gun. He was about to close for the day when a terrorist shot him in Lal Bazar and he lay bleeding in the middle of the street and his golgappa rehri unattended nearby.

Even his body could not be taken home as his son, who flew in the next day, choose to cremate him at his karma bhoomi. 

Virender Paswan had chosen to earn his livelihood in a relatively dangerous place like Srinagar to repay a loan of Rs 2 lakh that he had taken for the treatment of his wife Putui Devi. The couple was as such finding it hard to support a family of six children and with this additional financial burden, Virender had followed his younger brother Vilendra to Srinagar to ekk out a living.

In desperation to make more money, Virendra Paswan left for Kashmir, where not many golgappa sellers are around for his livelihood. Before shifting to the Valley, Virender Paswan used to work in a lathe machine in Kolkata.

He belonged to village Vade Hasanpur, located about two kilometers from the Jagdishpur zone headquarters. On the way to his village the narrow road is linned with the lush fields of katrani paddy, a specialty of the region, and its aroma fills in the air.

As soon one enters the village, you realize that everyone knows about Virendra Paswan's house and people are eager to show you around.

The first person I met after entering the house was Virender Paswan’s elder daughter Kanchan. Kanchan is married. She said her father had an older and a younger brother.

Her Uncle Vilendra Paswan also used to sell golgappas at Lal Chowk in Kashmir. He too has since returned to the village.

Besides Kanchan Paswan had five children- the girls Neetu, Neha, and Monica and boys Vikram and Suman. Vikram, 19, is in 12th standard while Neetu is a student of BA Part One and Neha BA Part Two, Monica studies in class VI. 

Putul Paswan is lying on the bed. She says that her husband always said if his children study they will do well and then he doesn’t have to work away from home.

Putul Devi says her husband went to Kashmir for the first time where his younger brother Villendra was selling golgappas. 

Rinku Devi, wife of Vilendra Paswan, sitting nearby says that her husband is returning from Kashmir. He told her that they all are so horrified after Virender’s killing by terrorists.

Rinku Devi says that her husband said there is no business in Srinagar. In all 78 people from the village, work are working in Kashmir. However, after Virender’s cold-blooded murder, all of them are fear-stricken and they all have started returning home.

Putul Devi says that her husband was planning to come home for the season for Dussehra. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he didn’t come last year.

“He was always worried about expenses and studies of his children as he spoke with his wife on phone from Srinagar. “If I don’t work, what will we eat in the village? He asked Putli Paswan whenever she asked him to come home.

Virendra Paswan's daughter told Awaz-the voice that her father sent Rs 10,000 to 12,000 per month and that was enough to manage the family.

The district administration officials, who visited the bereaved family have assured of giving Rs 2 lakh to the family. “How long will that money suffice,” asks Kanchan. The Jammu and Kashmir government has also paid Rs 6 lakh as compensation for the death of Virender Paswan.

 An elderly woman sitting there says that Virendra's all daughters are eligible for marriage. 

Village head Anirud Mahato has assured the family that he would get employment for one family member under the government scheme. 

Putul Devi says her children face an uncertain future. “How will I shoulder all the responsibilities?” She keeps muttering. Putul Devi is restless; she lapses into a deep silence after muttering, "Ab ka Khaibu? (What will happen now?)"

She says the death of her husband at the hands of terrorists, she has lost her trust in everyone.