'Irfan is no longer my child alone, he is the child of the nation'
Is it always happy? Are there tensions in the family?
Mehboob Khan: You media people! (*laughs*) I get tense when Irfan plays. Whether it is Tests or one day matches, I say a special namaz for him and for the team, at four am in the morning -- it is called the tahzub namaz. Irfan offers namaz five times a day; he can even read the Arabic version of the Koran.
Before leaving for Pakistan, he cleaned the mosque's water tank for two days as part of his prayers. Always, his bag contains his religious book and his cap.
Shamim Banu: We don't know how this tension in the city (the Pathans live in Vadodara) has come back. You have no idea how, after Irfan got selected in the Indian team, the atmosphere in Baroda had improved.
He couldn't walk down the streets then, people would lift him up.
We lived in a one room house at the time, we had no sense of being Hindu or Muslim.
And that day, when the news came that he had been selected, everyone came to our home, Hindus, Muslims, everybody. In fact, what we first heard was the sound of crackers -- only later, we came to know the news that our son had been selected.
That day, there were fewer Muslims and more Gujaratis (Hindus) in our home; they told me Aa to hamaro chockro che (he is our son). I found that moment unreal.
I prayed, Ya, Allah, please always keep up this mutual mohabbat (love) between us. I wish there were no riots -- we haven't had any in the last two, three years, ever since Irfan was selected for the national team.
I don't know why all this is happening again. I was so proud that Irfan was loved by all, I thanked Allah a million times.
When we won in Pakistan, it was well after midnight and yet hundreds of people came to our home to celebrate India's victory, they were so happy, they wouldn't leave. I thought then, Irfan is no longer my child alone, he is the child of the nation. I was so happy -- I cannot describe how much.
Also read: 'I was rewarded for my hard work'
Image: Irfan's parents, Shamim Banu and Mehboob Khan