Friends bid tearful adieu

HYDERABAD: Friends and classmates of Mohammed Ayazuddin bid him an adieu in tears at St Mary’s College, Yousufguda, on Friday morning. No sooner did the news break about their classmate’s demise, than over 50 students of the II year B Com class assembled in the college’s courtyard to pay tribute to their late friend. They were soon joined by hundreds of other students of the college, who waited patiently for Ayazuddin’s friends to talk of their personal relationship with the young cricketer, who was all set to represent the college later this month at an intercollege match, a plan cruelly interrupted by death.
For most students and staff of St Mary’s college, Ayazuddin was a soft spoken youngster who hardly tried to show off his father’s celebrity status. For his teachers, he was an above average student, who did well in examinations in spite of his rigorous cricket training routine. And for the college management, he was that star who could win them trophies in any cricket match in the state. But a majority of those present at the condolence meeting agreed on the fact that Ayazuddin was that boy who could have had a bright future but was too unfortunate to lose it all at a very young age. Ayazuddin was a second year B Com (regular) student of the college.
While the college declared a holiday on Friday morning, the students lingered on campus reminiscing the good times they had spent with him.
“Last week he had gone for a selection camp in Osmania University for inter college matches. And he was supposed to play later this month representing the college. We cannot believe that he will no longer be part of the college team,” said G Vipul, a student of the college at the condolence meeting. Another friend Akash Parmani could not complete his commemoration speech as tears choked his words. “I hope his soul rests in peace,” said a sobbing Akash as he stepped down from the dais.
The college principal said that Ayazuddin was that student who wouldn’t speak against his teachers. “We have strict rules in our institution and latecomers are not allowed inside classes. This boy who had such a tight cricketing schedule would just not argue with his teachers if they refused to let him inside the class whenever he was late,” said D P Ramarao, principal of the college.
His teachers too shared the same opinion about Ayazuddin. “Not many people in the college knew that he was Azharuddin’s son. In fact, even in the admission slip he had entered his father’s profession as business. He kept a low profile and had very few close friends,” said D Jayalakshmi, head of the department, commerce.