Kolkata: For families across the city and the suburbs, the passage of a week has done little to ease the shock of losing their loved ones at the Chorbagan stampede on Oct 17.Ram Sarkar of Chakdah said he could not fathom how to spend the rest of his life without his wife, Arati. The loss has left him confronting a future in which even familiar celebrations will carry a painful reminder of her absence. “Till now, I have not been able to reconcile with the loss of my wife. I don’t know how I will spend the rest of my life,” said Sarkar. Durga Puja, which brought them together in celebration, would never be the same again, he said. “Every Durga Puja will remind me of my wife. Money can’t make up for her loss.”As relatives and neighbours rally around them, the bereaved families are trying to come to terms with their losses while confronting the difficult realities of life without those who were integral to their lives. For Anukul Sarkar of Agarpara, the loss of his 13-year-old son, Pranjal, has left behind memories of a future that will never unfold. A talented swimmer whose medals and trophies are displayed at their home, Pranjal had been excited about a trip to Meghalaya the following Sunday. Anukul had organised the outing to the Chorbagan pandal with relatives, friends and their children. Although he managed to rescue several children caught in the surging crowd, he could not save his own son. “Our grief has been compounded by the everyday reminders of Pranjal’s absence. His medals and trophies remain in the house, reminders of his achievements and the years that lay ahead of him,” said the father.In Baranagar, 25-year-old Prithwish Ghosh is trying to comprehend the sudden loss of both his parents, Dilip and Dipali, in the stampede. An only child who had completed his graduation and was preparing for competitive exams, he now faces an uncertain future without their support. His uncle, Gopal Kumar Ghosh, said the families had lived on separate floors of the same house and shared a close bond. “We never imagined that a visit to a puja pandal could snatch my brother and sister-in-law away from us,” he said.For Sourav Mondal (26) of Kumartuli Park, grief is accompanied by a persistent sense of guilt over his mother Mithu’s death. “Had I taken my mom to Sovabazar Rajbari instead of Chorbagan pandal, this tragedy would not have struck our family,” he said, blaming himself for suggesting the outing. His father, Nirmal, said the family was trying to make a fresh start while living among Mithu’s clothes, cosmetics, kitchen utensils and photos.
