Don’t Just Love Your Parents… Express It | In Memory of My Papa — Niaz Ahmed Mohmuddin Peerzaada

“In loving memory of my father, my Papa — Niaz Ahmed Mohmuddin Peerzaada — a man of silence, strength, and love unspoken, whose quiet strength will always guide me.”

On 9th September 2013, my beloved father, Niaz Ahmed Mohmuddin Peerzaada, left us — his wife, his daughters, his grandchildren, his family, innumerable well-wishers, dear friends, his Tapasya Society Prabhadevi which he loved so much, his hometown Kudachi, his city Mumbai, and this world. It has been 44 days since his passing, yet his presence is felt in every memory, every corner of our lives.

• Student & Achiever

  As a student, he was immensely popular — Mr. Ismail Yusuf College. A sportsman (hockey), a scholar, and an artist (played the sitar). He matriculated from Anglo Urdu High School, Belgaum. He won the Sir Kasam Moosa Gold Medal and the Sir Frank Santer’s Scholarship for securing the highest marks in Persian across the entire university. His academic record remained brilliant, and he was the moving spirit behind many college activities.

  

   

  

   

  

   

• Our Relationship

  My father and I shared a silent relationship. He was never strict, but he also never expressed his emotions openly. In his 86 years of life, we hardly interacted deeply — until the last few years when something changed. Watching Arnab Goswami’s News Hour together became our bonding ritual. In those one-hour sessions, we spoke — about our home, our city, our country. Distance turned into closeness. Dooriyan nazdikiyan ban gayi.

• His Strength & His Illness

  On 22nd February 2003, I saw a strong man stumble. Carrying tea and hot water in his hands, his legs suddenly gave way. From that day onwards began innumerable visits to doctors, scans, and treatments. Till the age of 84, he drove a scooter, confident and independent. There was nothing he couldn’t do — he never failed. He had never seen a clinic in his life, and yet after 2003, he was besieged by ailments. But he fought bravely, never complaining, never showing pain.

• The Love We Found

  In those final months, something happened — father and son discovered the love they had always held inside but never expressed. I shaved his beard every three days, held him, kissed his cheeks and forehead countless times. Every night, I made him recite the 6 Kalimas before bed. Though I had feared him all my life, in those months, I loved him — loved him and loved him. I could finally feel his love for me and our family, even if he never said it aloud.

• The End

  On the night of 8th September 2013, everything seemed normal. He had his dinner, recited his Kalimas, and rested. At 1:20 am, uneasiness began. By 3:20 am, he peacefully left this world — no pain, no struggle, just closed his eyes. My father, a man of strength, dignity, and silence, was gone.

Love you Papa ❤️

Don’t just love your parents — express your love. Pata nahi kal woh ho na ho … ya hum.