Prem Barsar (PROSE: Letters from the Front) was a Hindu man who lived in the Punjab and the first husband of Umbreen. He was the brother of Kunal and Manish. Despite being a Hindu, he grew up with Muslims such as Umbreen.
Biography[]
Prem was a soldier during the Second World War. He fought in Singapore, where he first saw the Thijarians over the dead body of his older brother Kunal. (TV: Demons of the Punjab)
Final days[]
By 17 August 1947, Prem had returned home and was engaged to Umbreen, his childhood sweetheart. The Partition of India was beginning during this time, though Prem did not believe that people should be divided by religion, knowing that similarities between people mattered more than the differences, though he was still comfortable making snide remarks about the country which caused these problems.
Prem noticed the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions Ryan Sinclair, Graham O'Brien and Yasmin Khan when they appeared by the road he was traveling on, and offered them a lift to Umbreen's house on his cart when they said they were family friends looking for her. When the Thijarians appeared again in the Punjab, he helped the Doctor and Ryan investigate their presence.
He married Umbreen on 18 August 1947 at the border of Pakistan and India in a wedding officiated by the Doctor. They performed both the Hindu ritual of having their hands tied together and the Muslim ritual of giving a treasured possession, in this case, his watch. The face shattered when he tried to give it to Umbreen but she said she would use the broken watch to remember the moment of their marriage. (TV: Demons of the Punjab)
Death[]
When Manish, who was angry at him for marrying a woman of another religion, lead armed men to their house, Prem ordered Umbreen to flee to Lahore while he went to talk with Manish. However, Manish would not be swayed from his rage and Prem was shot down by one of his accomplices. The Thijarians watched over his death and ensured he would be remembered. (TV: Demons of the Punjab)
Legacy[]
Umbreen eventually married another man, and gave her granddaughter Yaz the watch from her wedding with Prem. This sparked events that led Yaz coming to 1947 to bear witness to Prem's wedding and death. (TV: Demons of the Punjab)