My circle of friends keeps diminishing. I lost two friends within last six months. And now I am writing about the passing of my friend Dr. Ghayas Ahmad. He was very dear to me. The friends we make during our teen years are always special. The friendship bond is often strong and gets stronger with test of time. Ghayas and I became friends in early 1950s and our friendship survived all of these decades…alas,ending on May 29,2023, when Ghayas decided to leave this world. No, he was not angry. He passed away peacefully with family and friends around him. The death came in his terms. You see, his youth was stolen away from him when he suffered a heart attack followed by a massive stroke some 46 years ago. I visited him at the hospital at that time and was devastated to see him lying on the bed helplessly. I recall kissing him and assuring him that he will rise to meet his new challenges. At that time, he had a new teaching job in a college, a new wife and a new baby son to enjoy and to take care of. The heart attack left him weak and the stroke left him paralyzed on the left side.

Going back, the year 1962 was an exciting period for Ghayas and myself. We both received a scholarship for the Ph.D program, he from University of Buffalo and I from Indiana University. We both had successfully completed the M.Sc program from Karachi University and now headed for Ph.D studies in America. I visited Ghayas in Buffalo in 1964 and then again in 1965 on my way to Boston where I accepted a postdoctoral program at the Boston University School of Medicine. When I reached Boston, I knew no one and ended up in an old dark one-room apartment. I remember asking Ghayas to call me daily because I was not sure if I could survive in that apartment. Ghayas diligently used to call me every evening until I found a new place to live and became more familiar with my surroundings. Ghayas came to rescue me again when I asked him to be the best man in my wedding with Lea in Boston in 1966.As the luck have it, I found a research job at Pfizer in New Jersey and Ghayas accepted a teaching position at Seton Hall University, not too far from where my wife and I lived. Ghayas was now ready for the marriage and raising a family. He had several girls in mind but the one he finally chose turned out to be a jewel, Zarina, the sweetest wife among our friends in New Jersey. Both of them young, educated, energetic and friendly and were ready for a bright future ahead of them. After the stroke and visible physical limitations, Ghayas continued to teach and drive on New Jersey roads with some obvious adjustments. He did not want his physical limitations limit his aspirations. He kept on marching with growing family. What more could he want? He had a loving wife and two small kids who call him Daddy. Zarina had to make some adjustments too. She took a part time job, did daily chores that are required for raising two children and the needs of a handicapped husband. She did all of that with a smile and unshakable love. Children grew up to be accomplished professionals, the son, Arsal, a physician and the daughter, Saba, a financial genius at Wall Street (Partner/COO, Turning Rock Partners LLC). They have made Ghayas and Zarina proud.Some 46 years after the first heart attack and first stroke, Ghayas said goodbye to this world on May 29, 2023. He knew he is loved but at the same he knew he could not contribute any more to the family or the world. He had suffered enough. He knew Zarina and children are now safe with family and friends and they would carry on his legacy of love and hard work.

Friends of Ghayas are keenly aware of sacrifices that Zarina made as a wife, mother and now a grandmother. Ghayas can now rest in peace.

Ghayas, one request. If you happen to see Salam Shahidi, Naseem Siddiqui, Rafi Ahmed or Rizwan Haider, please say hello from me. I miss them very much, and now I will miss you too. 

Mumtaz