28-year-old Ufa resident Rustam Nabiev lost his legs five and a half years ago. The four-story barracks in Omsk, where he arrived to serve on conscription, collapsed, and the young paratrooper was walled up with a concrete slab.
The tragedy claimed the lives of 24 people, and dozens more were injured. Then, in the most difficult period of his life, the future famous blogger was supported by his beloved girl Indira.
About how Rustam Nabiev sought her favor and with what fear he planned children — especially for March 8 in the material UFA1.RU.
Wealthy family in the village and dad in prison
When he first spoke to Indira, Rustam no longer remembers: it was a long time ago, when they studied together at the only school in a small village in the west of Bashkiria. They also lived nearby — their houses stood opposite, and next to them was a large ravine with a river and a rotten bridge. Together they played football, grilled kebabs and sang songs with a guitar.
— Then people were not sitting on their phones, but communicated live, — says Rustam.
Indira grew up in a complete well-to-do family, was the youngest of three sisters. Her father was the head of the collective farm, and her mother worked as an accountant.
Rustam, along with three older brothers, was raised by his aunt: the boy’s mother died at the hands of his father when he strangled her in a fit of anger. To feed the children, Aunt Rustam sold meat, butter and milk and washed the floors.
Rustam began to look after Indira at school. He tried to get the girl’s attention by carrying her portfolio after school and giving flowers, but she saw in it «just a friend.»
— There were many attempts. It seems like she will begin to treat me warmly, understand that I am breathing unevenly towards her, let her, agree to meet, and the next morning — like lightning struck: she sends a message, they say, no, you can’t order your heart. It was her stupid expression that infuriated me. She used to say that all the time, — Rustam recalls and adds that this went on for «two or three years.»
At that time, Rustam was 16 years old, Indira was 14.
«I saw by the eyes — I am unpleasant to her»
Rustam admits that at times Indira’s behavior offended him. Once she called mutual friends for her birthday and told them: “I don’t want Rustam to come”.
— And I was left alone on the sidelines. And I was offended, — he says.
Another time it got to the point that a common acquaintance began to spread rumors about Rustam, trying to embroil him with Indira.
— Once Indira talked a lot about me and we even had a big fight. One girl in a common company, for example, told her that I supposedly wanted something like that from her (sex. — Ed.). I offered Indira a confrontation with her, but she did not believe me. After all the attempts to explain herself, she did not notice me at close range, — says Rustam.
As Rustam admits, Indira’s behavior gave rise to complexes in him: he still could not understand why he was being so «turned off» so harshly.
— I seem to be a good person, kind, hard-working. Thoughts then appeared that maybe ugly. Before, I was very thin, weighed only 53 kilograms, — he says.
Receiving refusals, Rustam tried to distract himself with other girls, but they did not catch him.
— I just liked Indira. Externally. Internally. I liked it not for something specifically, but the person simply sunk into the soul. But her eyes showed that I was unpleasant to her, but I don’t know why. I still don’t know, ”he says.
The aunt, with whom Rustam lived at that time, knew about her nephew’s infatuation with Indira and was worried. But I did not advise giving up the dream — the guy grew up independent and was used to solving his problems himself.
Disappointment in guys was overcome with attention
After graduating from school, Rustam moved to Ufa and tried to enter a medical university. But he did not pass the desired medical faculty — the points were only enough for the pediatric one. Out of frustration, he took the documents and took them to the Petroleum Technical University, where he decided to study as an engineer. Indira at that time was 16 years old, she just entered the tenth grade.
Every weekend Rustam went home to the village and tried to be as close to Indira as possible. Even while studying in a big city, he did not stop wanting to achieve her.
— Then she met with our mutual friend. I knew that he was cheating on her, but I didn’t tell Indira, I didn’t want to get into a relationship, plus he’s a friend after all. He simply told her: «He will leave you anyway.» Hinting to her so hard. And she thought that I was jealous of her and wanted to embroil. I also talked to a friend, [useless], ”he says.
When Rustam closed his first winter session, his friend still left Indira, and Nabiev was insanely happy about it.
— She was crying, and the only one who was there was me. In fact, the road has been cleared. But then my friend created a problem: Indira seemed to be disappointed in the guys and did not want to meet with anyone. She was gullible and naive, did not understand that the guys wanted only one thing from her. I solved the problem with my attention. He said that I love her, — recalls Rustam.
Over time, Indira agreed to meet with him. After graduating from school, she also entered the Ufa university — the choice fell on the agricultural one, where she decided to unlearn a civil servant.
Buried under a half-ton slab
2015 tested the strength of the couple’s love. Then, five and a half years ago, 23-year-old Rustam arrived at the service in Omsk. At that time, he already had an engineering degree in his hands; upon returning from service, he was waiting for a job in a prestigious company.
In the late evening of July 12, a day after the oath, Rustam was in the barracks and preparing for bed.
— After taking the oath, I entered the outfit, surrendered my post and returned to the location. I was tired, I practically did not sleep for a day. I went to wash. I didn’t go to bed for a long time. The time was about half past ten, although at ten it was already out. I went to the window where my bed was located and wanted to take off my vest. Then the company officer on duty ran up, started shouting, gave the order, they say, run. I only managed to turn my head in his direction and immediately fell down. The building collapsed instantly. Four floors were added in one and a half seconds, — says Rustam.
From the second floor, Rustam fell to the first, and the debris of the third and fourth fell on him. It turned out to be literally walled up under a slab weighing half a ton. In this form, Rustam lay for seven hours, for another forty minutes they pulled him out from under the rubble. All this time he felt that he was «leaving» and said goodbye to Indira.
— I was all squeezed, the blood did not circulate, I could not feel my arms and legs. Then, when the stove was removed from me and I saw the light, there was a surge of strength. I was put into an artificial coma so that I would not die from pain shock. My injuries were serious — an open fracture of my legs, blood poisoning went through all the dirt that was, dust, — he says.
«I thought no one would love such a cripple.»
Rustam spent a week in a coma and regained consciousness in Moscow at the Academician Burdenko Center for Neurosurgery. When he realized that he was left without legs, disappointing thoughts about the future with Indira flooded over him.
— I thought that Indira would leave me, that no one would love such a cripple that I would be a burden for my parents. On the fortieth day, when the list and the number of those killed were announced to me, the toggle switch switched. The fact is that my friend died there, and I decided that I would live, no matter what, and I don’t care if I had no legs, ”he says.
Rustam spent seven months in the hospital. Indira and his parents visited him regularly. After the tragedy, Rustam lost a lot of weight: he weighed only 38 kilograms, although before the tragedy his weight was 81–82 kilograms.
— Indira brought broths. It was impossible to eat that food in the hospital. There they were fed like in the army, ”he says.
Despite the girl’s care, Rustam suspected that Indira was staying with him out of pity, and later would certainly break off relations.
— There was an understanding that she would not be able to leave me in such a state. It’s not human. I thought maybe she wants me to recover more or less, emotionally and physically, and then gradually start to move away, — he says. — And so, when the receiver was taken off me and I began to talk … The very first conversation with her was about this. I did not ask her to stay with me and said, they say, if you want to leave, leave now, then it will be hard. I will not be offended. I understood that my legs would not grow. But she told me that with or without legs, she loved me. Then an additional incentive appeared for me.
«Can’t have children?»
Now Rustam makes a living by advertising in a blog. 1.3 million people have subscribed to his Instagram page. Indira also became a blogger. The guys got married almost four years ago. Rustam admits that he had certain thoughts about how suddenly he would not be able to conceive a child.
— For the first six months we didn’t manage to [have children], and I wanted to be examined, I thought that the problem was in me. They injected me with a lot of anesthesia, there were many injuries. I thought maybe there was an influence, and I was afraid, — says Rustam. — I remember, I wanted to tell Indira that I want to be examined. I even prepared the conversation, and she comes up to me and says, they say, I want to tell you something, and showed me a test with two strips. She then asked about what I wanted to tell her, and I was like: «Nothing already.»
In January last year, the second daughter, Amina, was born to the Nabiyevs. Together they live in a three-room apartment in the center of Ufa.
“Since childhood, I dreamed of having a family where they would be expected and loved,” says Rustam. — I am glad that the plan came true.
The guys got married almost four years ago
