A family in Delhi has been shattered by a second, devastating act of violence. Sixteen-year-old Vrinda Yadav, who lost her father to bullets in 2023, has now also lost her mother, Rachna Yadav, in a similar fate. The 52-year-old, who was the president of her block's residents welfare association (RWA), was shot dead, leaving Vrinda and her elder sister, Kanika, orphaned and fearing for their own safety.
A Mother's Struggle and Unfulfilled Dreams
After her husband Bijender Yadav's death, Rachna took on the immense responsibility of supporting her family. She opened a small garment shop selling salwar suits from a space near her house, which also functioned as her RWA office. Rachna had plans to revive a YouTube-based news portal that was shut after her husband's death. "My mother promised that once I finished my degree, we would turn our shop into an office for the news portal and I would become its anchor," said Vrinda, who is a journalism student at IP University.
Rachna was a proactive community leader. A whiteboard outside her shop-cum-office listed her open-door policy for residents, with fixed hours from 11 am to 2 pm and again from 5 pm to 6:30 pm to address local grievances. In between these sessions, she continued selling clothes to make ends meet. Neighbours remember her as a woman who encouraged others, especially women, to raise issues and stand up for themselves. A resident recalled, "A few years ago, when there was a fire in the nearby shanties, she played a key role in helping residents."
A Legacy of Violence and a Father's Past
The tragedy that befell Rachna is deeply intertwined with a violent past. On May 22, 2023, her husband, property dealer Bijender Yadav, was shot dead in Bhalswa village of Jahangirpuri. Bijender was a declared criminal with nine cases, including murder, against him. Police stated his killing was the result of a long-standing rivalry brewing for nearly 18 months.
The conflict reportedly began with a parking dispute between Sanju Yadav and Bijender's brother, Rahul Yadav. It escalated after Rahul posted offensive comments and threats on Facebook. According to police, Sanju Yadav and his associate Sandeep Panwar, fearing Bijender was plotting to kill them, conspired to strike first. The rivalry was further intensified during the 2022 MCD elections. The family, however, claims Bijender was acquitted in many of the criminal cases against him.
Daughters Left Alone with Memories and Fear
The two sisters are now grappling with the loss of both parents to gun violence. Recalling their last conversation, the elder daughter, 32-year-old Kanika, said, "Just the night before she was killed, she said she wanted to see my daughter. I was planning to come this week." The park outside their house was filled with mourners on Saturday, with many women from the neighbourhood sitting quietly on benches, offering condolences.
For Vrinda and Kanika, the future is overshadowed by grief and anxiety. Having witnessed the killings of both their parents, they now openly express fear for their personal safety. Their story is a grim reminder of how cycles of violence and personal disputes can leave lasting scars, destroying families and leaving the innocent to pick up the pieces.
