I keep thinking about her prayers. 

How she would greet someone with affection, ask after their well-being and send them away with a dua. 

It seemed such a natural part of her being that I rarely stopped to think about it. 

Now that my maternal aunt, Zooni Begum, whom we lovingly called Zoon Mouj, is gone, I find myself returning to those little moments. 

They have become some of my most precious memories of her.

She passed away on October 27, leaving our family in deep grief. But the sadness I have seen in Showpora, our village in Chadoora, Budgam, has made me realise how many people shared a bond with her. 

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She was my aunt, but her affection reached well beyond our family. People knew her, loved her and sought the comfort of her company. 

Her departure has left an emptiness in many homes.

I have known Zoon Mouj all my life. When I try to recall what made her special, I think first of her extraordinary kindness. 

I cannot remember her deliberately hurting anyone or wishing ill for another person.........

© Kashmir Observer