Khushi’s Story

Khushi’s father, Firoz Ahmed was among the 42 Muslims murdered by the Hindutva mob during the Northeast Delhi pogrom. Firoz was first brutally assaulted by the mob and later he was thrown in an auto and burnt live. His family was only able to recover a shoe that belonged to him. Khushi has three siblings and his mother, Rukhsana was two months pregnant at the time of Firoz’s death. The family suffered immensely in the aftermath of the Northeast Delhi pogrom. Rukhsana was observing iddat and couldn’t step out of the house for four months and the family needed financial help and Rukhsana needed a healthy pregnancy diet because the intake of nutrition is the baby’s main source of nourishment. In this troublesome and crucial time, Miles2Smile Foundation stepped in and helped Khushi and her family. Everyday, our team would deliver fruits, milk and other nutritious items for Rukhsana’s unborn baby. The foundation paid for the medicines, ST scans and medical treatment of Rukhsana. During the lockdown period, the foundation also paid for a tutor to teach all three of Ruskhana’s children. Firoz Ahmed owned a Dupatta shop. After Rukshana’s iddat, she took over the responsibility of the shop and is now successfully running the business and sustaining her family. Miles2Smile has enrolled Khushi and her siblings, Rihan and Faiz in Sunrise Public School under our initiative ‘Shaagird’. Over the past one year, Khushi has turned out to be an amazing dancer and soulful singer, one of the most brilliant students at the school. Ruskhana gave birth to a baby girl in the month of September, last year and named her ‘Firoza’ after her father. For Khushi, Rihan, Faiz and their mother Rukhsana, Firoz Ahmed is not dead. His memory will live on through Firoza.