Shemina

A couple of weeks ago, I met a woman who was a friend of and worked with Shemina Hirji. She told me that she had been at the wedding and knew the couple. I asked her what she thought about the overt public speculation that Paul had killed Shemina. She said that she sincerely hoped not, but she was beginning to think that he might be guilty. There were tears in her eyes and I did not pursue the matter, simply offering her condolences for her loss.

Paul Cheema, widower and likely murderer of Shemina Hirji, committed suicide on Monday, August 27, 2007. His guilt seemed to have gotten the better of him. Now, two families each have a dead child. My initial reaction was why didn't he do it to himself first and that way Shemina would be alive. However, upon clearer thinking, I thought perhaps that had he gotten some sort of help in the first place, neither one would have had to die. What a horribly tragic situation for both families. Their children married about a month and half ago and now, they are both dead.

The police have not confirmed the death a suicide, but his family has. The police also have not verified the rumour that they were about to arrest him after having interviewing him just recently. Paul allegedly had made previous suicide attempts. Apparently, this is a common guilty action undertaken by those who have murdered someone about whom they cared.

I don't know how much of the truth will come out and who really deserves to hear it. A "friend" of the Cheema family said that the details of Shemina's death needed to be revealed for her family's sake. I don't know that this is necessarily the case. I've heard rumours that she was brutally (as if there is any other way) stabbed. I cannot fathom how making this information public will benefit the family in any way. I hope that both the families can find some way to deal with their losses and make some kind of peace with their pain.