Photos: Face of 2008 Delhi serial blasts tragedy set to wed

NEW DELHI: It is a tale of two images. Depicting despair and joy, the photos were captured 12 years apart, but the subject has remained the same — Simran. Now a young woman, Simran, who became the face of tragedy after losing her father in the Delhi bomb blasts in 2008 when she was a child, is all set to marry on June 25.


When TOI visited her house, Simran was waiting for her haldi ceremony to begin. Dressed in a bright yellow attire, she posed for the camera with her loved ones. But amid the celebrations, there was also some nervousness, as the wedding has twice been postponed already due to the Covid pandemic.

The photo showing Simran clinging to her mother, Kamlesh, at her father's funeral became the symbol of loss. But she has dealt with loss, and says she believes good things do not evade good people. Simran grew up living one day at a time, concentrating on her studies to fulfil her father's dreams and helping her mother make key decisions in rebuilding their lives. “When I arranged Simran's wedding, the first thing she demanded was that she should continue her studies,’ said Kamlesh.

The bomb blasts still linger in the background, and conversations during wedding planning often veer to her father. “I don’t recollect much about him, but I know that the days after the tragedy were filled with despair,” said Simran. “When my family was arranging a groom for me, I often found my mother talking about father’s death, but wiping away the tears before I could notice them.”

Arranging dinner for the dozen guests who had come for the wedding, Kamlesh said, “What is happening seems unreal. I never thought I’d be able to see Simmu get married.” It was a difficult journey since 2008, but Kamlesh made it with a little help from her mother and second husband, Heera Lal. Kamlesh remarried in 2013, and the couple have a seven-year-old son. “Papa arranged everything for my wedding,” said Simran, referring to her stepfather. “When life takes something away from you, it also gives you the courage to deal with it.”

She looks forward to a new life with her groom, who is from Punjab. Simran dragged her stepfather to the markets, chose her own ensemble and jewellery, even had a say in the wedding date. “I chose the date because I want to appear for some exams. As for my wedding dress, everyone wanted me to go for the traditional red lehenga, but I chose deep pink, my favourite colour,” she smiled.