In Shami's Village, People Can't Believe That Their Hero Is In Such A Big Trouble

They were in many ways the first family of Amroha. A local boy who graduated from plastic ball cricket to the dizzy heights of international matches and the beautiful woman he married and returned home with. As the marriage of Mohammed Shami and Hasin Jahan disintegrates in the public eye, with the cricketer facing serious charges including attempt to murder and rape, the residents of Sahaspur Ali Nagar, 20 km from Moradabad in Amroha district, contemplate the end of their own fairy-tale.

BCCL

When Shami and Hasin visited Sahaspur and stayed at his family¡¯s house, or zipped around on a motorcycle visiting the local sights, their neighbours and relatives would invite them home. Some distance outside Sahaspur is a plot, named ¡®Hasin Farmhouse¡¯, after the cricketer¡¯s wife. Locals say the couple planned to build a house at the sprawling plot.

I tried to convince him that he should accept his mistake, I have been trying since very long. He would've run away to UP by now if I did not catch hold of that mobile phone, he would've divorced me till now if I did not have the mobile phone: Hasin Jahan, Mohammed Shami's wife pic.twitter.com/oMvFpSz7pD

¡ª ANI (@ANI) 11 March 2018

But just as Amroha was basking in the glory of its own celebrity couple, things started unravelling. Today there is disbelief all around at the sequence of events.

¡°How could this be? Just a month ago they visited and looked happy. Hasin was treated like a princess by the entire village in the four years of their marriage,¡± says Aasma Jahan, a 65-year-old relative of Shami.

AFP

Jabir Hussain, 32, Shami¡¯s childhood friend who played street cricket with him says, ¡°It is difficult to believe the allegations made against him. I remember he took on trolls online when they criticised Hasin for wearing modern clothes.¡±

Immediate family members are, however, tightlipped on the allegations. ¡°We are in the middle of a crisis and efforts are on to resolve it. Currently, Shami¡¯s uncle, brother and a few others are in Kolkata to sort out the matter. His mother Anjumara is very ill. We can¡¯t make any statement at present,¡± said a relative, on condition of anonymity.

#ShamiSpeaksOut | I am hopeful that this would be sorted out very soon: Mohd Shami, Cricketer pic.twitter.com/rQkLYner9i

¡ª TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) 10 March 2018

However, a comparatively newly constructed portion of an old house situated in the narrow lanes of the village speaks volumes about the stark difference in the living standards of its occupants. On the one hand is an old-time dwelling with a ¡®chulha¡¯ at the corner of the courtyard, while on the other side is a room equipped with the latest gadgets and means of comfort.

PTI

¡°This is Hasin¡¯s room that Shami got made for her. Whenever they visited from Kolkata, we were on our toes to ensure they had a pleasant stay. It is difficult to believe allegations of torture or assault,¡± said Irfan Ahmad, a relative of Shami who is currently staying in the house as most of the family members have left in order to avoid media attention.