’It’s time for my daughter to come home’

Says mother of Payal Balsara who is in denial over the girl's death; keeps calling her cellphone and asking visitors about her

'It's time for my daughter to come home'

“It IS time for her to come home. I am trying to call her but her mobile phone is switched off,” says the agitated mother of Payal Balsara. Sounds like a normal reaction from a mother whose daughter is not home on time. However, Payal Balsara will never come home. The 21-year-old succumbed to her injuries after being stabbed by her classmate on Tuesday morning. Her mother, Pravina, is still in a state of shock and refuses to accept that her girl is no more. She asks everyone who enters her home in Kalina about Balsara.u00a0

The funeral was carried out on Tuesday at Kherwadi, where Balsara’s family members and relatives were present. Her mother was inconsolable and had fainted.

“During the funeral, her mother fainted. After regaining consciousness, she has forgotten that her daughter is no more,” Pradeep, Balsara’s uncle said.

When this reporter went to Pradeep’s residence in Kalina, Balsara’s mother thought that a friend from college had come. She asked the reporter, “It is time for Payal to be home but she hasn’t come. I am trying her on her mobile phone but it is switched off. How did you come here?” She also asked the reporter about the stabbing incident in college but she didn’t seem to recall that Balsara was involved in it.

“She was their only child and was very close to her mother,” said another relative, “They had started looking for a groom for Payal and had already kept gold ornaments ready for the wedding.”

“A prayer is being organised in Santacruz for Balsara where they will tell the mother about the death,” said Pradeep.

“We only hope that she does not lose her mental balance because of the trauma,” he added.

Apart from the trauma, family members have alleged that the Guru Nanak Hospital has not provided bills and they are being overcharged. However, Doctor R S Gulati said, “Payal was like my daughter. From my end I will try to get a discount in the hospital bill. I was very busy since a few days therefore we had made an open bill. We have called Payal’s family tomorrow (Friday) where they will be provided hospital bills with discounts.”

Balsara was stabbed 10 times by her classmate Nikhil Bankar at Chetna College on Saturday morning. Bankar had stabbed himself and both were taken to Guru Nanak hospital in Bandra where Nikhil succumbed to his injuries in an hour. Balsara breathed her last on Tuesday.u00a0

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