Six big dreams that took off on Air India-171, but never touched down in London
After 241 people aboard the AI-171 flight lost their lives in Thursday's tragic crash, Forum Gandhi reports on the aspirations and memories that they carried with them on the London-bound plane that never reached its destination
25G
Chandu Baguane
Chandu Baguane had come to
Ahmedabad
to perform the last rites of his mother. After spending about a month with his family in Gujarat, he boarded
Air India
's AI-171 to return to
London
, where he had been working as a labourer for the past few years. Originally from a village near Ahmedabad, Chandu had built his life around supporting his family back home. His wife continues to live in the village. 'He came here after his mother passed away. Once all the rituals were done, he was going back to his work in London,' a family member said. Chandu's visits to India were not frequent, but each time, he made it a point to be present for his family. This time, the trip ended in heartbreak. The family received the news of the crash just as they were slowly coming to terms with the earlier loss. For them, it is now a double tragedy—losing a parent and a son in the space of weeks.
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27A
Sanket Atulgiri Goswami
For 19-year-old Sanket Atulgiri Goswami, the Air India flight to London was a dream come true—his first time on a plane, his first step towards becoming an automobile engineer. 'I am very happy, I have boarded the flight. Look, it's very nice around me,' he told his parents in a video call, his voice full of excitement. It was the last they ever heard from him. Sanket, from Kherva village in Mehsana, was heading to London to pursue a course in automobile engineering. His family had pinned great hopes on his future. 'He was so thrilled about travelling abroad. It was his first flight ever,' said his uncle, who had come to identify Sanket's body, along with Sanket's parents. 'I've come here to recognise my brother's son's body. We never imagined this would be our reason to travel,' he said quietly
28B
Lawrence Daniel Christian
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Just days after bidding farewell to his father, 26-yearold Lawrence Daniel Christian's journey home ended in tragedy. The only son in his family, Lawrence had flown to Ahmedabad from London on June 1 after his father's sudden death on May 29. His family in Ramol-New Maninagar said he stayed back to complete his father's final rites and the cross-keeping ceremony. 'He had just performed his father's cremation and was returning with the hope of slowly piecing life together again,' said his aunt, her voice trembling. Having lived in London for over a year and a half, Lawrence was pursuing higher studies while working part-time. His wife Ayushi, who stayed back in London, is shattered. 'She keeps saying this must be a mistake,' said a family friend. 'She's terrified of flying now and is pleading for someone from Ahmedabad to bring her home.
20 H / 20J
Harshit Patel, Pooja Patel
Harshit Patel and his wife, Pooja, had quietly flown into India on June 2, carrying hope and a carefully kept secret. They wanted to surprise Harshit's father, Anilbhai Patel, who had been living alone since his wife died of cancer six years ago. 'For the past two years, they have lived in Gatwick. Pooja, my daughter-in-law, had miscarried,' said Anilbhai, his voice faltering. 'They came here 10 years ago. She conceived for the first time in seven years of marriage. They came on the 2nd.' The visit was meant to heal old wounds and begin a new chapter. After years of living by himself, Anilbhai's son had convinced him to move permanently to the United States. 'They gave me a surprise visit. We shopped a lot here. They bought me a lot of gifts. We got my passport made in Tatkal. They had started my process to shift me with them because I live completely alone here, after my wife,' Anilbhai said, breaking into sobs.
32E
Ankita Vasantkumar Patel
'She was glowing that day,' said Asha Patel, Ankita's sister-in-law. 'We had a beautiful send-off for her. Six cars came to drop her — her parents, her sister, our entire family. She was so excited to finally start her life with Vasant.' Ankita Vasantkumar Patel, 28, had been married for just six months. Her husband had flown back to London on December 26 to prepare for her arrival. "He was setting up everything for her. He had made plans, bought things to surprise her, he wanted her to walk into a home that felt like hers,' Asha said. The couple had known each other for only ten days before their engagement but had grown close during their year-long courtship. 'Though they were engaged for a year and married for six months, they spent merely a month together at best. Imagine their fate—they hardly got to live together,' Asha said, her voice trembling.
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