RIYADH – Man proposes, God disposes – this harsh reality of staying away from the homeland was faced by an unfortunate Indian citizen, Salim Shareef. He hailed from Jalalabad, a small town of Uttar Pradesh, India. Salim was working for a Road Construction company as a driver for the past seven years in Riyadh. He could not visit his family back in India as his company was not arranging his air tickets. He fell ill due to depression and subsequently cardiac ailments. His relatives/friends tried to support him and arranged his air ticket to New Delhi. One of his relative, Khalid was accompanying him to Delhi as Salim could not travel alone. Salim was sitting on wheel chair in the airport lounge after clearing all the immigration process to board the Saudi Airlines flight from King Khalid International Airport Riyadh. He had dreams of meeting his family, wife – Gulshan Salim, children – Mukatdir, Musayab, Fai and Maham. But everything shattered as he suffered a cardiac arrest while sitting in the wheel chair. All his dreams got buried before he could. He was rushed to King Abdullah Hospital of Princess Noura University near the KKIA. But he could not survive. This case was reported to Shihab Kottukad, a highly active social service provider and Pravasi Bharati Awardee. He immediately got into action and coordinated with the family of the deceased person and the concerned authorities (hospital, police and Indian Embassy) in Riyadh to make burial arrangements for body of Salim Shareef. This is the harsh reality of NRIs which they face at the end of life abroad.
