By Irfan Mohammed
Jeddah: Syed Abdul Waheed will never see his child, never know the joys of fatherhood. He won’t be able to present toys or gifts to his only child nor able to see any of his family and never will grow old along with his wife.
The 31-year-old’s journey of life was cut short by a sudden heart attack, and along with Waheed, died many dreams, desires, and the promise of a better life for his family and himself.
A mechanical engineer in a leading electrical company in Saudi Arabia, a resident of Musheerabad in Hyderabad, Waheed passed away recently just hours before he was scheduled to fly home to see his newborn boy.
Newly married Waheed brought his wife Zehra Fatima to Saudi Arabia on a visit visa and the couple had spent a wonderful time, the wife was delayed returning India amid covid-19 travel restrictions, however, she returned home and delivered a baby girl in Hyderabad.
Desperate Waheed wanted to see his newborn baby girl but like scores of other Indians he was not to risk for a detour journey, patiently waited for relaxation in travel restrictions that are still active in Saudi Arabia. When authorities allowed two shots of vaccination administered in Saudi Arabia to travel directly, the overjoyed Waheed opted to travel to Hyderabad to see his child.
He bought several gifts, toys, and packed luggage, ready to travel in the morning but suddenly suffered chest pain as a result of cardiac arrest and succumbed to it at midnight recently.
The death formalities were coordinated by Mohammed Abdul Jabbar of the Telangana NRI forum with the help of the Indian Embassy.
Waheed was laid to rest at a cemetery in Riyadh in the presence of many friends and cricket fans as he was one the champion players of Saudi Premier League (SPL), a cricket association in the Saudi capital.