Hidayatullah’s mother had been getting a pension of Rs 300 per month after the death of her husband.”

After his elder sister got married, he left the village for Mumbai in search of a job. He had studied up to Class 12 and had also done a course in computers.

After three months, Hidayatullah got a job in a private firm. No one was sure what was he doing in the cafe. Neighbours thought he worked as a billing assistant. Perhaps Hidayatullah himself gave that impression, but Farzad says he was a waiter.

On November 27, a neighbour received a call from Mumbai. The caller, who identified himself as a friend of Hidayatullah, said he had died in the terror attack. The relatives went to Mumbai and brought the body back. Sub-Divisional Magistate of Sant Kabir Nagar Ram Shankar Lal Srivastava said they had provided an assistance of Rs 20,000 to the family, as Hidayatullah was the lone bread earner.