Tonight, lying on the bed in the Burns and Plastic Surgery Ward of Safdarjung hospital, Ruksana and husband Rana are praying that their youngest, one-year-old daughter Aksa, doesn’t leave them childless.

“Minutes before the blast, they were all playing, shouting in the coach, my wife and I had to forcibly ask them to sleep. Barely had we fallen asleep when we heard a loud roar. I opened my eyes, it was very difficult, I saw my children slowly dying. Blood was streaming from their faces, the blast had occurred right near their berths. A security personnel was also sitting near them and he was dead. Later, it all went dark and when I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital,” said Rana Shaukat Ali, 46. He has 15 per cent burns along with his wife with 10 per cent burn injuries and Aksa.

Like all the victims — many yet to be identified — their story is an India-Pakistan story, about families making that journey across the border to meet each other, restore and renew relationships, now shattered by the terror attack.

Rana Shaukat Ali, who runs a departmental store in Samnabad in Faisalabad in Pakistan, had come on January 23 to attend a wedding at his brother’s place in Ghaziabad. “It was my daughter’s wedding and we were all so happy as they were visiting us after several years. They had left home in the morning to board the train. The children had enjoyed so much that they promised they would come back soon. Who knew that it would be the last time that I’ll see them? We had never expected such a tragedy happening. Somebody called me up from an ambulance and told me about the incident, after which we came rushing here,” said Jannat Ali, Shaukat Ali’s brother.

Jannat Ali recalls the “happy days” spent at his place. “They had bought so many things from the market here, which they said that they would show to their friends in Faisalabad. They had bought pearl necklaces, bangles, new set of clothes, utensils. We had never imagined that they would never be able to wear them,” he said.

“Aksa can barely talk and has been crying ever since she came here. She is in pain, I can see that and I can’t do anything for her,” said Ruksana, tears rolling down her face.