Widow of Indian killed in Abu Dhabi terror attack unable to come to terms with tragedy
Abu Dhabi, Jan 27 (Agency) Hardeep Singh, 29, was the youngest of the three men killed in last week’s Houthi terror attack in Abu Dhabi. His wife Kanupriya Kaur has still not been able to come to terms that he is no more. They were married just 10 months ago. Hardeep was one of the two Indians killed in the Houthi drone strike on an Adnoc oil store in the UAE on January 17. The third person killed was a Pakistani national. Hundreds of people gathered at their house in Mehsampur village in India’s Punjab state on the 10th day after his death. Hardeep was a tanker driver at Adnoc – Abu Dhabi National Oil Corporation, and was the sole earning member of his house. His wife has gone into shock and keeps saying, ‘Deep will come back.
He will not leave us.” “People have come from all over Punjab to give the family strength and pray for peace in his journey,” Gagandeep Singh, a cousin who lives in Abu Dhabi and accompanied Hardeep’s body home, told The National. “He was loved by so many. Never did anyone imagine this would happen to someone so young. “Everyone is asking,’ why did this attack have to happen to this family?’ It is too tough and painful for his mother and wife to bear.” World leaders, including India, have condemned the Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi as a terror attack. Hardeep’s father passed away more than a year ago and as the only child, he was the sole support for his mother Charanjit Kaur. His grieving widow Kanupriya Kaur wore red bangles at the prayer ceremony, signifying they were recently married.
The couple were married 10 months ago, after which she returned to study in Canada. Her husband returned to work in Abu Dhabi and was planning to visit her this year. Instead, she returned to India last week after being told Hardeep was injured in an accident. The family intended to break the news when she was back home surrounded by relatives. It was only when she saw the mourners gathered at his home that she realised he had been killed. Another of his cousins, Rajbir Singh, said the family needed time to process the loss. Hardeep Singh was a keen sportsman who enjoyed playing kabaddi and volleyball. The mourners included many of the young people he played sports with. “He was a king of sports and inspired youngsters with his positivity. He was always available for any social work, for the development of the village,” Rajbir said. “He was a gem of a person. He was like my brother, he was my brother. We grew up together.” The family had observed the Lohri festival on January 13 with Hardeep and his wife joining the celebrations online. “That was the last time we saw him. And then four days later he was dead. It is too much for us to handle. We all feel alone without him.”