Head Constable Bijender Singh, 43, was a driver in the Delhi police security department. He was hit by some of the bullets that were fired indiscriminately by the terrorists. He died in a city hospital six days later.
Singh left behind three daughters, two sons, and his 40 year-old wife Jayawati, who keeps his photograph in her wallet. The family continues to live in its three-bedroom house in Molarbund village on the outskirts of Delhi.
Jayawati: What is the use of writing about him after two years? [Her eyes moisten and she tries to control her emotions; she speaks again after a long pause.] Life has to move on. I am living only for my children.
Sometimes my father and brothers come to see me. But, at the end of the day, I am alone. In the last two years, I have got my daughters Seema and Meera married. Neera is in Class XII and I am worried about her.
I sometimes feel proud [of my husband], but the result is that my children don't have a father.
I have no complaints against the Delhi police. They helped me a lot. They gave us compensation for his death. The commissioner gave me his phone numbers and told me to call him if I need any help.
But the government has betrayed me. The [Delhi] chief minister [Sheila Dikshit] had announced a compensation of Rs 4,00,000. But I haven't received anything.
I am an illiterate person. What can I do? My father went to the CM's office several times. He wrote a complaint to her assistant. But nothing has happened so far.
It has been two years since his death. Nobody from the government came to see us. They say our papers are in the lieutenant governor's office; they are buried somewhere in the files and it will take some time. But no one can tell us how much time it will take.
Last year, on December 13, I was called to Parliament House. [Prime Minister] Vajpayee, [Deputy Prime Minister] Advani, [Leader of the Opposition] Sonia [Gandhi] -- all of them were there. They paid tribute to my husband. [Petroleum Minister] Ram Naik gave me a permit to open a petrol pump. They said we would get everything from land to the machine.
But I have not received anything. My father went to the office 50 times, but there has been no response. DDA [Delhi Development Authority] officials say there is no land in Delhi. They want us to go to Haryana or UP [Uttar Pradesh].
I am alone. I have lived here all my life. My neighbours are so good and helpful. My children are studying here. How can I go anywhere else?
My son [Vipin] is in Class IX. I have pinned my hopes on him. The Delhi police has offered him a job after he turns 18. I want him to join the force. That is what his father wanted for him.