Deepavali without Nhaveen’s light
Aunt says everything reminds them of late teenager
T. NHAVEEN’S mother and aunt are still struggling to come to terms with his death. ‘Everything here reminds us of him... his room, his favourite places...’
DEEPAVALI will never be the same again for family members and relatives of T. Nhaveen, who succumbed to injuries sustained when he was beaten up by a group of teenagers in June.
Till this day, his mother D. Shanti is inconsolable, said her sister Sumathi.
“Honestly speaking, her situation is still very bad... if she goes to work and we are around her, she will be all right.
“But once she is alone, she can’t hold back her tears.
“It is difficult. Everything here reminds us of him... his room, his favourite places and even food.
“Every time we glance at his photo in the house, we will get emotional,” she said at Nhaveen’s house in Taman Tun Sardon, Gelugor, yesterday.
Sumathi was arguably the closest to Nhaveen in the family and he spent most of his time with her. He even called her “mum”.
After school, he would go to Sumathi’s house nearby to have lunch before returning home. He loved her cooking.
During weekends, he would stay with her family and play with her children.
For Deepavali, Nhaveen had asked her to buy him a black-andwhite striped shirt with pants, and Sumathi feels devastated that she cannot do that now.
“(In the past), a few weeks before Deepavali, he would be with me and he would always ask me to make delicacies, kuih kacang, alwa and others, which were his favourites.
“This year, I can’t even begin to prepare them.
“I miss having him by my side while I cook,” she said while struggling to hold back tears.
Sumathi said Nhaveen’s grandmother had promised to buy clothes for him from where he worked at Queensbay Mall.
She said his grandmother, like her, could not believe that she would not be able to keep her promise, every now and then mentioning something about it.
Apart from Deepavali, Sumathi said, Nhaveen also looked forward to celebrating Christmas with his grandmother as he got to eat his favourite Western dishes.
The family had planned for a surprise dinner to celebrate his birthday at a Western restaurant in December.
In a case that shocked an entire nation, the 18-year-old and his friend, T. Previin, were buying burgers at a stall on June 10 when they encountered two boys who were Nhaveen’s former classmates.
The two allegedly taunted Nhaveen by calling him names because of his soft manner.
Nhaveen pleaded with the two to stop their taunting while Previin warned them off during the 2.20am incident in Hilir Pemancar.
They later went to Jalan Kaki Bukit in Bukit Gelugor to eat after work but the duo came back with a group of teenagers and allegedly started beating them.
Previin managed to flee to get help. Unfortunately, it was too late. Nhaveen was admitted to Penang Hospital in a comatose state.
He died five days after the incident.
“My only wish is that what happened to Nhaveen would be the last... I don’t want to see this happening any more. It is unbearable and I do not want any other family to face the same fate as us,” said Sumathi.
Her husband, A. Suryakumar, advised parents to play major roles in instilling good values in their children at a young age.
He said this would be the best way to avoid bullying, whether in school or outside of it.
“We would like to thank the public for their unwavering support.
“We hope this incident will create an awareness and a sense of empathy for everyone.
“Parents should keep track of their children’s activities and be as close to them as possible. Spread the love so that they will be good people.
“With the Festival of Lights approaching, we hope the light of awareness shines brighter within all of us.”