New episode of 'Conversation with Kanwal' deals with the heartbreak of losing a spouse

Madiha opens up about the day she lost her husband in one of the most devastating plane crashes in Pakistan's history

KARACHI: Some of us can only imagine the heartbreak of losing a spouse. For others, it is a reality that they must live with. In this week's episode of talk show Conversations with Kanwal, we are introduced to Madiha, a woman who lost her husband in one of Pakistan's most devastating plane crashes.

Soul Sister's founder Kanwal Ahmed has ensured the beginning of episode pulls everyone's heartstrings as Madiha remembers praying to Allah for four years to marry her husband Muntajib.  As she was young at the time, her mother told her that nothing could be done.  So Madiha says she "turned to the only One who could help me."

"It came to a point where people used to come to see me and I would be in another world. I was so absorbed in my prayer that I had no idea what was going on around me," she says, with a dreamy look in her eyes.

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Kanwal reaffirmed that the guest speaker prayed for four years consistently to marry Muntajib. One day, Madiha's dua came true when she was offered a proposal by the family. "Everything else I was just given to by Allah," she says about her marriage. "But Muntajib was one person, one thing that I actually had to pray for. He was actually my prayer that Allah made come true."

The pair moved to Pakistan and got married in 2002, where Muntajib was posted in the air force base at the time. Kanwal probes Madiha on her relationship with her husband, in which she replies, "It sounds cliche but I thought it was amazing."

She continued, "He was very understanding. I don't ever remember him speaking to me in a loud tone. He always came back from work with a smile on his face."

During the 100 years of Aviation event in 2003, Madiha recalled being scared to see her husband flying for the first time. He was flying  a F16.

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Although she was always afraid of his high-flying job, she was okay with it until one of his colleagues passed away in a plane crash. "At that time, it hit me because my husband does the same thing, this could happen to him," she says.

After leaving the airforce due to medical reasons, Muntajib got a job at Air Blue and she followed him to Malir with their children to support him. The couple celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary with their entire family, unbeknownst to them that 10 days later, Muntajib was to be involved in a deadly accident.

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Madiha remembers the day she lost her husband clearly. Muntajib took a flight to Islamabad after being home for over 10 days.  He reassured his wife before leaving he would be back by 2 pm as it was an early flight.

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It was at 9.45  am when Madiha remembers waking up to her sister crying. "Muntajib's plane has crashed" was all she heard. "For some reason, maybe God put it in my heart to prepare me but I knew he was not coming back," she recalled.

The news was initially reporting Muntajib's name incorrectly. But when authorities brought his coffin back in flowers, Madiha remembers not even  being able to walk or go out of the room.  She says with tears, "I had zero strength in my body."

"When I was sitting there staring at his coffin, I talked to God and said, 'When I asked him from You, You gave him to me.' I mean what are the chances right?" she said. "It felt like He was replying to me, 'I gave him to you and now, I am taking him away from you. I will take him and see. What will you do?"

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Madiha realised after her prayer that she needed to be patient as she was certain God would reward her for it. "I told myself he was never mine in the first place. We all belong to God. He gave him to me and then He took him away from me. But that is only to give him back to me, if I do what I'm supposed to be doing."

Watch the full episode here:



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