ON the night of 14 September 2019, my beloved brother, Lambawi, just 43 years old, met a sudden and tragic end. He was found lifeless the next morning, lying on the ground outside the two-storeyed building where he lived and worked. Passersby saw him there and rushed to call for help. His body was later taken to the hospital for official records.
For the past few years, Lambawi had been working as a steward at Hotel Empire, Castle Street, Bengaluru. His colleagues knew him as a man of kindness, honesty, and cheer -- one who never raised his voice in anger, never quarrelled, and always lent a helping hand. I know this not just from others’ words, but from my own time working in that same hotel, staying in the very building where he fell. The balcony from which he fell was unsafe, neglected -- I had seen it myself.
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At the time I first heard this sad news, I was in Bagalur, quite far away, working in an NGO. Unfortunately, the previous night, there had been no electricity, so my mobile phone had switched off. The next morning, after charging it, I found so many missed calls -- each one carrying the weight of the tragedy that had struck our family.
But the deepest sorrow in this story lies not only in the fall, but in the dreams it shattered. Lambawi had fallen in love with a beautiful, warm-hearted young woman from Aizawl. They had promised to meet at the year’s end, during Christmas. He had planned to visit her parents, to ask for her hand in marriage. Their phones carried countless messages: words of love, care, and a shared future. In one night, all of those hopes were erased.
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The official procedures at the hospital and police station went smoothly. His body was flown to Imphal, the state capital, and then carried to his village, S. Phaiza. Family, friends, and neighbours gathered to receive him with tears and sorrow. A condolence service was held until 9:30 p.m., and that same night, under the quiet sky with light rain falling, he was laid to rest.
Lambawi’s life was one of simplicity, humility, and generosity. He lived the words of his favourite Bible verse: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed.” (Proverbs 19:17)
He also wished to celebrate his birthday on Oct 4 by inviting friends and a pastor, who would lay his hand upon his head and bless him in prayer. It was like an unbelievable dream, at the end.
Thank you all for helping us in our time of sorrow.
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| Lambawi & Pumminthang |
20 September 2019
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