My mother and the rest of the women with her at Pratab Park, most of whom are highly educated and professionalized, have been taken to Central Jail, Srinagar. They have been put behind bars for the sin of attempting to peacefully protest the strong-armed methods of the GOI.
Abba has peacefully transitioned to the next world.
He came from God, and he has returned to God!
I will honor, love, and cherish his memories for as long as I live!
I know that my family and friends will celebrate his incredible life, compassion, empathy, and contributions!
You will always be the love of my life.
I was a child when I fell in love with you, Faisal, and that love will last till kingdom come.
I will speak your name in loving remembrance, not only in anguish.
The warmest memories of you live within me.
I would appreciate it if my friends wouldn’t post the crying face emoji in response to this picture.
I want to cherish and celebrate every moment I had with Faisal.
As we get older, we recognize the importance of family.
I am glad I was able to get the brood together this afternoon.
We reminisced about the good times and the bad, remembering to count our blessings.
And I, for one, always enjoy hosting my family!
Whatever happens, my father will always walk beside me for as long as I live. And I will not let him down---not today, not ever. I will make sure, to the best of my ability, that everyone dear to him is looked after exactly as he wants.
May God in his wisdom do what is best!
“I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got to hold up for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
This is a moment that I choose to memorialize.
I am delighted that we were able to meet up in Srinagar and get together for a moment that will be just as precious for posterity as it was for us.
Of my mother’s three brothers, the oldest, Uncle Farooq, was my father’s favorite.
My father remained a thorough professional his entire life and didn’t get caught up in political rivalries or exacerbating divides.
The two men who have had an enormous influence on me are my father (Abba) and my maternal grandfather (Nana).
Here is a picture of Nana on his prayer rug, which a dear cousin sent me at the airport.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Kashmir was a coveted destination for Bollywood producers, directors, and actors. I am sharing a picture of Bollywood icons, Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, and Randhir Kapoor (Rishi Kapoor's older brother), with my mother, her older sister, and me.
My family has always been my greatest source of strength. I consider Uncle Richard a cherished member of my family.
I am delighted and grateful that we were able to meet up in Srinagar this time around.
A lovely morning at the Jalali Heritage House, where my cousins and I enjoyed the kind hospitality of Jalali Sahib, his elegant wife, and wonderful daughter, Susan. Susan just happens to be my childhood friend.
I managed to convince the two sisters to accompany me to the tomb of the mother of Zain-Ul-Abidin, the eighth Sultan of Kashmir. What an incredible site!
You lived life king size, Faisal, and your funeral cortège was fit for a king.
You always aspired to make it big, and your funeral procession bore testimony to the status you had attained by dint of your hard work.
You live through your family and always will.
One more picture from my archives:
With my maternal grandparents, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah; Mrs. Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India; and Dr. Karan Singh, son of the last ruling monarch of Jammu and Kashmir.
I am writing this post from a position of strength. I have gained strength from the unconditional love, trust, and faith with which I took the plunge on October 30, 1995.
Despite the pain, which will last forever, I know that I will continue to hold on to Faisal.
By God’s grace, I got to see my father and spend quality time with him. He and I had the satisfaction that we spent time with each other.
He will always walk beside me, and he lives in his grandchild.
My mother, Faisal, Iman, and I appreciate the messages of our well-wishers.
I know that I am incredibly fortunate to have been influenced by a dignified and upright father, a man of conviction. He has always embodied nobility, dignity, and grace. He has been grateful for the full life he has led, and he has no regrets.
My little girl got her fourth college acceptance today. She has been accepted to all four colleges/ universities that she applied to.
We are grateful to God and know that with every difficulty comes relief!
I am so grateful to our friends who attended the memorial service for Faisal earlier today.
I did my best to meet the over 200 guests we had at the ceremony. I apologize if I missed anyone.
Faisal’s name will live on; and his legacy will be preserved. I promise!
In 1981, a few months before he passed away, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah led the congregational Namaz at Eidgah in which people of several and conflicting political and ideological inclinations prayed together.
This was Nana’s last prayer at Eidgah.