When news flashed about an accident involving MBBS students in Alappuzha on Tuesday night, Mumtaz Begum, mother of Lakshadweep native Mohammad Ibrahim, tried calling him on phone from Kavaratti. A cop answered the phone. The reply was vague. She panicked and immediately rang up her brother Mohammad Basheer, who was nearby. Basheer spoke to the cop, who told him about the accident and that Ibrahim had been shifted to a hospital.
Basheer said the cop tried to be reassuring, telling him that the injury could be mild and that no more details were available. Ibrahim's father, Mohammad Nazeer, started calling everyone — his friends and college authorities. Very soon, the family learnt that Ibrahim was no more.

"He was the hope of our whole family. It was our family's dream to see him as a doctor," Basheer said. None of the close family members could pay their last respects to Ibrahim. Ibrahim's younger brother, Mohammad Ashfaq, is with his grandmother. Only Ibrahim's parents managed to get tickets to Ernakulam. They were flown by helicopter from Kavaratti to Agatti island from where they flew to Kochi. "We couldn't see him for one last time. We will be holding prayers in our island," said Basheer. Basheer had come to Kavaratti from another island to visit his mother. Due to adverse weather warnings, he stayed back.

The family decided to hold the final rites in Ernakulam owing to the hassles of transporting mortal remains to the island, the relatives said. Though their home is in Andrott Island, the family moved to Kavaratti as Mumtaz is employed with the PWD, Kavaratti. Mohammad Nazeer is a fisherman and a coconut farmer, and Mumtaz had saved up money to send their son to Kerala for higher secondary education along with coaching classes for medical entrance.

Ibrahim cleared the entrance exam, but initially the family was worried as there was uncertainty over his reserved seat. Ibrahim even returned to Kerala for his coaching classes after he thought he couldn't make it in his first attempt. However, he got admission in Alappuzha Medical College and the whole family was elated.

"It was barely two months ago that his parents took him to Alappuzha. We were so happy for him. He was a silent, studious boy right from his childhood. He didn't have many friends and was very dear to all of us. When he got admission, it was a reward for his hard work and his parents' toil. They have worked so hard to realise his dreams. It hurts that we can't get to see our child before the funeral," said Lalilabi PP, Mumtaz's elder sister and a pharmacist in Kalpeni.