Grief hangs heavy over the family of Ram Balak Sahni, who lost his only son in the deadly car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening. The blast, which claimed 13 lives and left many others injured, has left Ram Balak in despair, struggling to come to terms with the loss of his sole earning member.

“My two daughters are still studying, and I have been unwell for a long time. My son was the only earning member of the family,” said Ram Balak, his voice breaking as he recounted the tragedy. His son, an autorickshaw driver, had left for Old Delhi around 4:45 pm with a passenger, unaware that a blast would soon rip through the busy street.

According to Ram Balak, he received the fateful call around 8:30 pm on Monday informing him about the incident. His hopes for his son’s safety ebbed when he arrived at the scene and saw his son’s mangled autorickshaw. “I first saw his auto—it was in terrible condition. I knew he must have been badly injured but never imagined he would be gone. I saw his lifeless body, there was a red mark on the left side of his face,” he said, staring blankly at a gathering of survivors on Thursday.

The meeting was organised by survivors of the 2005 Sarojini Nagar blast, another devastating attack in Delhi, to express solidarity with the families of the recent victims. Ashok Randhawa, president of the Sarojini Nagar Mini Market Association and a survivor of that earlier blast, addressed the families with empathy. “We have witnessed that horrifying incident in 2005 and know what kind of situation it must be for the families,” he said.

Randhawa also urged the government to extend support to the victims’ families, proposing at least two per cent reservation in government jobs for those who lose loved ones in such attacks. His words resonated with Ram Balak, who faces the daunting prospect of supporting his remaining children without his son.

The Monday explosion near the Red Fort, a historic and highly frequented area of Delhi, has prompted intense investigations by police and forensic teams into the nature of the explosives and potential links to previous attacks. The blast has stirred painful memories of the Sarojini Nagar explosions of October 29, 2005, when coordinated blasts tore through crowded markets, killing over 60 people and injuring more than 200.

For Ram Balak and other families affected by Monday’s tragedy, the immediate aftermath is filled with sorrow, uncertainty, and the urgent need for support. The incident not only highlights the human cost of terror but also underscores the continued challenges authorities face in ensuring the safety of Delhi’s residents in crowded public spaces.

In the midst of his grief, Ram Balak’s words reflect the depth of his loss: “How will I survive now?” A question that captures the heartache of countless families grappling with sudden tragedy in the aftermath of such attacks.