Jammu, June 11: RUKHSANA Kausar fought a terrorist last September to save her parents.Now, she is fighting her parents for the sake of her love.The 22- year- old fell in love with her personal security officer ( PSO) Kabir Hussain and married him on May 26, against her parents’ wishes.“ My family wanted me to marry a cousin. But those people had always looked down on me before I got the awards. But when my name appeared in the papers, they suddenly developed an interest in me,” she said.She was awarded the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Award and the Kirti Chakra for her bravery.
After Rukhsana snatched Abu Osama’s automatic rifle and sprayed on him, the Lashkar- e- Tayyeba ( LeT) had vowed to avenge Abu’s death. The terrorist had entered her house and was thrashing her parents when she came upon them.
The police then arranged for her security and moved the family from their home in Upper Shahdra of Rajouri district to the police lines. Kabir was then assigned as her PSO. Rukhsana, who was given a constable’s post after the incident, said from her home in the police lines in Rajouri: “ I love him and cannot live without him.
“ He protected me when the terrorists had promised to avenge Abu’s death,” she said. “ Is it a crime to marry the man you love?” Her parents locked her up in a room for two days after they came to know of her union. The police had to interfere because she was absent from duty and freed her.
“ My parents beat me up and asked me to forget Kabir as he was already married and has a child. But I can’t forget him,” she said.
Kabir said he married Rukhsana because no one else would have dared to marry her because of the terrorists’ threat. “ I have done nothing wrong because I got permission from my first wife,” he said. “ I want to live with her but her parents aren’t allowing her to move out.” Rukhsana’s parents have sought the help of elders to sort things out.
“ As Rukhsana has not lodged a complaint we cannot take action.If she lodges a complaint, we will look into it,” Rajouri senior superintendent of police R. K. Jala said.