Varanasi/Kanpur: Chandauli boy Abhishek Kumar’s eyes will see the world even as his own dreams remain unfulfilled. The 19-year-old, who hoped to pursue an MBA, support his family and build a better career, was among those killed when a five-storey hostel building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed on Sunday. On Tuesday, his mortal remains were consigned to flames at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, but not before his family donated his eyes in a final act of compassion.For the family, the decision to donate his eyes came amid grief and a demand for justice. Abhishek, a BCom-2 student, had been staying in Delhi since 2025 to prepare for admission to an MBA programme after graduation. His father, Santosh Kumar Kharwar, who works in Sonbhadra, lit the funeral pyre at Manikarnika Ghat.“To continue his studies, Abhishek was living on rent in the Satya Niketan building. He was inside when the structure collapsed,” said Kharwar, who broke down while recalling his son as bright and ambitious.Abhishek’s last conversation with his father was on Sept 5, the day he also deposited his hostel fee. When repeated calls went unanswered on Sept 6, the family grew anxious and later learnt of the tragedy.Kharwar blamed the building owner and questioned why students were not shifted if repair work was under way. He urged Delhi CM Rekha Gupta to order an impartial probe and ensure strict action against those responsible.In Auraiya, another family was facing a similar heartbreak. Pawan Singh, 17, the only brother among four sisters, had only just returned from home after celebrating Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami with his family. His sisters had tied rakhis on his wrist before he left for Delhi on Saturday. By Monday night, the brother they had cheerfully bid farewell returned home in a coffin.Pawan, the only son of retired homeopathy pharmacist Vishambhar Singh, was also among the six students who lost their lives in the Satya Niketan building collapse. His arrival home left his four sisters devastated, while his father was engulfed in sorrow. His mother, Meera Devi, has not yet been told about her son’s death.His sister Priyanshi, who lives in Delhi, rushed to the hostel after learning about the collapse and searched extensively for him. She eventually located his body at the AIIMS mortuary. Later that night, the family received the heartbreaking news of his death.Pawan had maintained a routine of speaking to his mother over video calls every morning and evening. He spoke to her even after reaching Delhi on Saturday and again on Sunday morning. When he did not call that evening, his mother grew anxious. The family subsequently learnt about the hostel disaster.On Monday morning, his father travelled to Delhi with his daughter. After the post-mortem examination, they returned home with Pawan’s body late that night.Pawan had completed his intermediate education at Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College, Dibiyapur. He was admitted to Delhi University’s BSc Computer Science programme on July 20 and had been studying in Delhi for barely two months. His sister Priyanshi had enrolled at Delhi University last year and lives in a girls’ hostel there.Two young men, two sets of dreams and two grieving families were brought together by one tragedy — their journeys in Delhi ending abruptly, leaving behind ambitions that would never be realised.
