A Wait for 60 years...

Iam not sure if i have the right words to describe the following: Happened to see this on television. A very emotional and touching story indeed...
A 60 year wait reunion that finally happened this new year...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"At the time of partition, I was very young. We all get separated and I only remembered my brothers. I am meeting them after 60-65 years. I am thankful to god that I could meet them," she said.

Seventy-two year old Bibi had embraced Islam after being separated from her family during the partition of the Indian subcontinent. After several years of waiting to meet her brothers, Bibi finally boarded the "The Samjhauta Express" which runs between Lahore and Attari.

Her family who danced to the beats of drums greeted her warmly.
Her brothers, Kesar Singh and Joginder Singh could hardly control their emotions when they hugged their sister.

Joginder Singh said that their hope of meeting Bibi was revived after tension between India and Pakistan eased in the last few years.

"On this Lohri, its like a rebirth for us. We are really happy with her visit with us," he said.

Bibi's brothers said that their sister who was only 12 was separated from the caravan which was coming to India. Tears rolled down their cheeks, even as the onlookers also became emotional to see the re-union.

Rabia Bibi was accompanied by her UK-based daughter, Amshira and son Sagir Ahmad who were so excited to meet their Amritsar-based Sikh relatives that they could not utter even a single word for 15 minutes.

Rabia Bibi said that for many decades she could not get any clue about their relatives and used to pray to the Almighty for the re-union. She said in 1984, her next door neighbour (Potha village of Mirpur district of PoK) visited Pathankot (Gurdaspur) to meet his mother, who were separated at the time of Partition.

It was a chance meeting with the Sikh family from Amritsar who had told him that they had lost their sister in 1947. He told the Sikh family that his neighbour had been talking about her Sikh background.

On his return to Potha , he told her that he had met a Sikh family who was enquiring about their sister. She confirmed that, the Amritsar family was her own. However, it took many years to get the visa for Amritsar since she belongs to Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Rabia Bibi, who is mother of six daughters and two sons, said that her children would repeatedly enquire about their maternal uncles and aunts. However, she was not sure whether they were alive or killed like thousands of other innocent persons in the communal frenzy. "It is the grace of Allah that all are alive".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was just shaken up when i came to know that for 22 years from 1984, the siblings could not meet after coming to know about the family. What an agonishing wait it should have been..

Sometimes, we just don't realise the wonderful moments of our life . Took a few moments and realised what are the precious things i own and found myself very rich to possess the love of my family, companionship of my friends and well wishers.

To be happy, we need to understand what we have first than what we want to possess. This new year, lets get richer and happier, by feeling what we already have.