JEDDAH, 8 November — Tragedies are always turning points in everyone’s life. Relatives and friends are a good solace in moments of personal crisis but their soothing words are cold comforters when one loses one’s beloved wife, and that too quite unexpectedly and at the most untimely stage in life.
For Raja Masood Hussain, Jeddah had become his home having been its resident for over 25 years. Now, he is leaving for good, primarily for the good of his children. He was quite happy living with his family and pursuing his career in the air cargo industry. Until tragedy struck two months ago, shattering the otherwise strong-minded Raja.
He lost his young wife while she was vacationing in Islamabad with their five children, two teenage daughters and three younger sons. “It was difficult to believe that the 36-year-old could die from a heart attack. She was quite hale and hearty when she left Jeddah on vacation,” he says.
Rawalpindi-born Raja arrived here on April 3, 1978. With some of his family members involved in the airline industry, the choice of a career for him was obvious. He got a footing in the PIA in its cargo section. After the initial training and three years in the job, he joined Saudi Arabian Airlines and worked in its cargo division from 1978-86. He next moved to Kuwait Airways and rose to the position of district sales manager (cargo).
You lose some you win some. It proved true for Raja when Kuwait Airways decided to transfer him to its Islamabad office as senior sales executive (cargo) in recognition of his 15-year association with the airline. “I thank Kuwait Airways for their generosity,” Raja said emotionally.
The presence of a large number of travel trade representatives, including top management executives of various airlines and their cargo divisions, at a farewell reception hosted by Alpha Cargo Services in his honor at Al-Zehra restaurant here on Tuesday bore testimony to Raja’s popularity and standing. Abdul Karim Yahya Munshi, a local businessman, presided the meeting, which began with introductory remarks from K.P. Abdul Salam of Alpha Cargo.
