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Indian Express
6 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
Anxiety in the skies: Pilots, cabin crew open up about mental health struggles after Ahmedabad plane crash; say ‘every call from family asking if we're alive just adds to the burden'
In the wake of the Air India flight AI171 crash on June 12 that claimed over 270 lives, murmurs within the aviation community have grown louder. Anxiety around flying isn't just affecting passengers – it's weighing heavily on those in the cockpit and cabin too. Unconfirmed reports suggested that a pilot scheduled to operate the Delhi-Copenhagen flight on June 14 experienced a panic attack and stepped down, with another pilot stepping in to ensure the flight landed safely. The incident, though not officially verified, raises serious questions about the psychological impact of such tragedies on aviation professionals. 'I was flying the plane the same day as the crash, the next, and even the day after,' a pilot from the Air India Group told on condition of anonymity. 'It could have been me, or any of us. Yes, we feel stressed and anxious. Every call from family asking if we're alive, every time we fly, just adds to the burden. Our families are traumatised. Still, we have to do what needs to be done, and have to fly,' the pilot said. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) introduced a peer support and buddy programme in 2023 to help pilots seek therapy, but they remain hesitant to enrol. 'Signing up means being grounded without pay,' said the same pilot, who has logged similar hours to the late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who led the ill-fated AI171 flight, adding, 'That's why none of us opt in. It feels more like a public relations exercise than real support.' The pilot also recalled facing 'several incidents,' including a major in-flight engine failure: 'You just have to be prepared, focus on the tasks at hand, and keep going. Nothing really prepares you fully for what the skies may throw at you.' Neha Kapoor Madan, 35, a former cabin crew member with 13 years of experience, said, 'The sky was my second home, but it never looked this grey.' Neha recalled a mid-air emergency involving a fuel leak and possible fire on landing: 'Back then, I wasn't scared. I knew what to do. But today, even with all that training, one thought lingered… what if the aircraft gives up on you? That feeling was different – quiet, heavy, real.' The AI171 crash, she said, 'took something from all of us.' Many have taken to social media to express their grief and concern. Aditi Syal, a content professional and wife of a 'proud Boeing 787 Dreamliner pilot,' wrote on LinkedIn: 'Passengers asking cabin crew 'safely land karwa dogey na' (You will make us land safely, right?), is such a heartless attempt at a joke. It almost assumes cabin crew are not humans – they have no one waiting at home, no one waiting for their text, no one for whom their landing safely matters. And yes, there's a high chance he's flown the exact aircraft involved in Thursday's incident. When the news broke, our phones lit up.. But his response was, 'This plane has Sexy Engines, and these aircraft don't just fail. What happened is rare. Let the experts investigate.' He wasn't just being hopeful; he was speaking from years of training, thousands of hours in the cockpit and deep familiarity with one of the most advanced aircraft known today,' she wrote. Pilot Teena Goswami shared a somber account of her first flight after the crash. 'With heavy heart and full of emotions … Here we fly again… A silent flight ever I saw,' she shared on her Instagram, and described what she saw: *Passengers were quiet and fearful. *Airhostesses were getting enough respect and attention on the instructions given before takeoff. *Except pre-booked, no meals were bought. *Quite all around, and passengers not talking to each other. 'I felt so much silence and fear around, including me as well. What a devastating day of the crash, RIP all who lost their lives,' she wrote. Despite repeated attempts, many pilots and crew members declined to speak, choosing silence over reliving the trauma. Veteran pilot Captain Anil Rao, who has clocked 12,000 flying hours over 32 years, said that while such tragedies shake the aviation community, pilots are trained for precisely these moments. 'In life-and-death scenarios, a pilot fights till the very end to protect lives onboard and on the ground. That mindset is drilled into us. When a tragedy strikes close to home, there's shock and grief, yes, but pilots and cabin crew don't have the luxury to stop. We have to get up and fly,' he said. He explained the psychological balancing act. 'In the cockpit, we forget home. At home, we forget the cockpit. We have to dangle between the two extremes. We accept that tragedy has happened and see to it that such things shall not happen again, and learn from our and others' mistakes. That's our lives,' shared Rao. Captain Sunil Pillai, 58, a retired Air India pilot with 44 years of experience, took us through the intricacies of flying in times of adversity and said pilots must learn to navigate mentally taxing situations. 'Every six months, you're likely to face some form of emergency. No one's completely calm, but once in the cockpit, you know lives depend on you and you have to try and work hard to tackle those counterproductive thoughts, no matter what,' said Pillai, who has faced three engine failures and a hijack attempt. Even in this grief, they are reminded of something else they carry — resilience. 'The strength of those who flew the very next day, who stepped onto the aircraft despite the fear in their hearts. Because that is what it means to be part of this profession. We trust our training. We believe in our teams. And above all, we know that flying remains one of the safest forms of travel in the world. That confidence isn't blind — it's built from years of drills, of discipline, of reacting under pressure,' said former cabin crew Noopur Parth, Manager (Retd.) The IFS Department. Pillai swears by a checklist. 'I used to always tell my co-pilot that emergencies can happen even on the last day of one's career. So, whatever happens, you have to face it, right down to the last day. Take a deep breath and get going,' said Pillai. A managing committee member from Airline Pilot's Association of India (ALPA), that represents Indian pilots and is an associate member of the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA), told 'ALPA has not taken any stand and we are only wanting people to stop speculation and we want to be a part of AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau which is set to investigate the crash) for transparent investigation.' The member also said, 'ALPA is ready to help any pilots or the family of the now tragically deceased pilots to cope with the Post Traumatic Stress confidentially.' Captain Rao, ALPA's General Secretary, also told us that they are open to helping anybody legally and morally. 'We are open to help anybody who has a grievance and has been affected by the crash. We have a dedicated team. Our two representatives had also gone to the funeral of the first officer and the captain. We have the addresses of the cabin crew as well. We are delegating members who can visit their houses.' He also urged pilots and crew to take the tough call. 'At any time, if I am not physically or mentally well, I am not supposed to fly as per the rules. Thoughts do come, but that is part of my job to control my thoughts, my emotions. Lives are in my hands. So, we have to be responsible in what we do. So, if not well, do not fly,' he said. Tackling nerves and managing mental health are crucial not only for their well-being but for the safety and efficiency of flight operations, said Dr Chandni Tugnait, psychotherapist and the founder and director of Gateway of Healing. 'Acknowledging mental health needs and providing proper support allows these professionals to handle stress and trauma, ensuring they can perform their duties without being impaired by unresolved psychological challenges,' said Dr Tugnait. Delnna Rrajesh, psychotherapist and life coach, agreed, 'Your body and mind might be breaking silently, but duty doesn't pause in crisis,' and said, 'Your role is sacred, yes, but so is your sanity. You don't serve better by ignoring your emotions. You serve best when you're emotionally regulated, rested, and supported. In aviation, duty means staying calm in the skies. But it also means doing the inner work on the ground.' She also listed seven tools to protect the mental health of pilots and cabin crew while honouring their duties: 1. Three-minute check-in before every flight: Ask yourself…'Do I feel calm, alert, and clear-headed? What do I need to fly safely for myself and others?' This is your internal safety check. Do not skip it. 2. Mini-reset rituals mid-shift: a. Do your box-breathing: Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4. '3. 'Breathwork techniques (like 4-7-8 breathing) can provide a quick reset during high-stress moments, calming the mind within minutes,' Dr Tugnait said. b. Massage your pressure points (base of skull, wrists) c. Hydrate intentionally with a 10-second pause. Sip water from a glass slowly. These micro-breaks bring your nervous system out of panic and into presence. 3. Emotional debriefs are critical: After tough flights, or incidents, don't just file reports/brush it off. Talk about how you feel. Suppressed emotion becomes trauma. Process it before it becomes toxic. 4. Pre-take-off anchor cue: One small grounding ritual (touching your badge, closing your eyes for five seconds, or an affirmation like 'I am present, prepared, and protected') can flip your brain from anxious to anchored. 5. Protect off-duty time like airspace: Schedule one digital detox every three days, one full 'no crew talk' day every week and one practice that's only for you (not for duty, not for anyone else). It can be journaling, meditation, dancing – anything that keeps you peaceful and centered. 6. Seek support before feeling broken: Try solution-focused therapy or breath-based trauma work. Don't wait for breakdowns. Schedule maintenance, not rescue. See a therapist, if need be. Jayashree Narayanan writes on fitness, health, aviation safety, food, culture and everything lifestyle. She is an alumnus of AJKMCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia and Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi ... Read More


Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Hrithik as my co-parent is a very big thing': What Sussanne Khan's journey with Hrithik Roshan reveals about how mutual respect after divorce can shape emotionally healthy children
Parenting after separation is rarely easy, but Sussanne Khan and Hrithik Roshan have shown how mutual respect and shared goals can create a nurturing and balanced environment for their children. Speaking at the Reality Conclave & Awards 2025, Sussanne, a successful interior designer and entrepreneur, offered insight into her ongoing co-parenting journey with the Bollywood actor. 'Our children are very artistic. Both my boys are artistically inclined to another level,' she shared. 'So I think the support of my family and of course Hrithik as my co-parent is a very big thing to us. I am feeling very grateful and very blessed.' Sussanne's comments come not long after Hrithik posted a heartfelt tribute to her professional success on Instagram, writing, 'Dreams to reality. So proud of you Sussanne! I remember 20 years ago this was a concept you kept dreaming about. Today as you launch your SECOND Charcoal Project in Hyderabad, I can't help but applaud the little girl who dared to dream so many years ago… Your hard work shows, but what shows most is your exquisite and unique talent! World-class truly!' Sonal Khangarot, licensed rehabilitation counsellor and psychotherapist, The Answer Room, tells 'Absolutely, post-divorce relationships can evolve into emotionally supportive partnerships — but only when both individuals are willing to move beyond resentment and ego. In my work, I've seen that the shift depends heavily on emotional maturity, mutual respect, and a conscious decision to prioritise the child's emotional landscape over personal grievances.' When parents are able to model conflict resolution, co-regulation, and boundaries even post-separation, it rewires how children view relationships. 'Instead of internalising separation as something destructive or shameful, they start to see it as a transition — where love and support don't have to disappear just because the structure changed,' notes Khangarot. Khangarot states, 'When children witness mutual appreciation between divorced parents, it fosters emotional resilience and a more secure internal working model of relationships. They begin to view both parents as individuals navigating life with dignity rather than adversaries. This reduces their tendency to internalise blame or engage in black-and-white thinking.' Over time, she adds, it nurtures empathy, perspective-taking, and the ability to resolve conflicts in their own relationships. 'A study by Sandler et al. (2008) found that positive post-divorce parenting significantly reduced emotional distress and increased social competence in children, laying a strong foundation for healthier adult relationships and a higher emotional quotient (EQ).' Divorced co-parents can benefit greatly by adopting the mindset of team leadership—where the shared 'project' is the well-being of the child. Like in successful teams, clear communication, defined roles, mutual respect, and goal alignment are essential. Viewing each other as partners rather than opponents helps reduce ego-driven conflict and fosters collaboration. Just as effective teams focus on long-term success over individual wins, Khangarot notes, co-parents who adopt this approach prioritise the child's needs over personal grievances. This perspective encourages problem-solving, accountability, and emotional regulation — key elements that build trust and stability in the parenting dynamic over time, even post-separation.


Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
How to file GST returns online in 2025?
GST Return Filing Online 2025: All the taxpayers in India needs to submit returns regularly under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system. To file GST returns, businesses must hand over details about their sales, purchases, taxes they've paid, and input tax credits (ITC) they're claiming in specific formats. One of the most significant aspects of GST compliance is the timely and accurate submission of GST returns. Along with standard monthly and yearly return forms such as GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, and GSTR-9, the GST system includes a number of alternative return types for a number of reasons. Step 1: Visit the official GST portal at Step 2: Enter the GSTIN (GST Identification Number), username, password, and the captcha code to log in. Step 3: After logging in, you will reach the dashboard and go to the returns dashboard: Services > Returns > Returns Dashboard. Step 4: Choose the financial year and month or quarter you want to file the return for. Step 5: This opens up the right return forms for you based on how you're registered. Choose the form you need to file and click 'Prepare Online'. Keep in mind: Different GST Return Forms apply to different taxpayers. It depends on their turnover, type of supply, or registration category. Step 6: Fill out all the needed personal details, save the form, and hit 'Submit'. Step 7: After submitting, use 'Track Return Status' to check where things stand and to pay. Step 8: Head to 'Payment of Tax' and click 'Check Balance' to see your available credit and cash balances. Step 9: Choose 'Offset liability' and pay cash for any amount left after using your input tax credit. Step 10: After payment, file the GST return by checking the declaration box, choosing the authorised signatory, and clicking 'File Form with DSC'/'File Form with EVC', as suitable. Please note: Readers must note that this is simply general guidance on filing GST returns. However, there are other GST returns on the GST system based on the forms, some of which may need fewer or more procedures than those described *This article is written by Amrit Prakash, who is an intern with


Indian Express
13 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘Earliest Indians were migrants…India has been connected to the world from the very beginning,' says historian Audrey Truschke
A quarter of humanity today is made up of South Asians, and for the rest of the world, their lives are constantly being shaped by South Asian culture—be it through films, spices, yoga or religion. US-based historian Audrey Truschke begins her monumental work tracing 5,000 years of Indian history with this crucial reminder to her readers about the impact the subcontinent has made upon the globe for millennia. Truschke's India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent (published by the Princeton University Press) begins with the much-discussed and debated Indus Civilisation, and goes right up till the post-Independence period, including the caste wars of the 1990s and the rise of the Hindu right. Throughout her re-telling of Indian history, Truschke reminds her readers of the vital connections that India has maintained with the world from the very beginning of its existence, through migration, trade and cultural exports. The earliest of Indians, as she reveals, were migrants who built the foundations of urban civilisation and shaped the oldest literary tradition of the region in the form of the Vedas. She also underlines the necessity of understanding the past of the subcontinent through the lens of the marginalised, particularly through the voices of women and the oppressed castes. In an interview with Truschke talks about her findings of the Indus Civilisation, the use of literature written by women to tell the story of Buddhism, as well as the dark side of the history of Hindu nationalism. Excerpts from the interview: Q. Your book title suggests that it is about 5,000 years of Indian history. How and why did you decide on this specific number? Audrey Truschke: For the last century, the conventional beginning of Indian history has been about 4,600 years ago with the Indus Civilisation. That is where I begin my narrative. We rounded up for the title, because publishers like round numbers, so that is where the 5,000 comes from. I do not adhere to this time frame strictly, however. I do start in earnest with the Indus Civilisation, which began around 2600 BCE. But before that, I give a brief account of how people populated the subcontinent in the first place. And that story goes back 1,20,000 years. Q: Why do you choose to begin with the Indus Civilisation? Truschke: The beginning of Indian history geologically goes back millions of years when the subcontinent was formed; the Himalayas are still rising today from the crashing together of two tectonic plates. Human history in India goes back a more modest 1,20,000 years. I begin the book with recorded human history, devoting attention in earnest first to the Indus Civilisation, which was robust enough that it left behind significant material evidence for us to work with. Not all of the past is recoverable. But history is a positivist discipline. We work with the evidence we have. And so there is no value judgment that the Indus Civilisation was somehow more important than other groups of people doing other things in India around the same time. It is simply that they are the ones for whom we have significant material evidence to reconstruct their lifestyles. Q: We know that there is a lot of politics around the Indus Civilisation lately, with different political parties trying to appropriate it around religious or regional lines. How do you respond to that? Truschke: I think every single political party in India will be disappointed with my take on the Indus Civilisation. I know there is a huge push right now for it to be a Dravidian civilisation. There is no positivist evidence that shows that. It is plausible, but a lot of things are plausible. The bottom line is we don't know much about who the Indus Civilisation people were. We know they built cities. We know how they lived. We know a fair amount about their diet. These are certain things that are recorded in the material and skeletal records. But we don't fundamentally know who they were, except that they were from northwestern India. That was a long time ago, and we really don't know how the Indus people map onto modern linguistic, political, and ethnic groups. For those who are making modern political claims, that comes with all the limits of political claims. But insofar as some people are trying to make a historical claim, they need to be a little bit more realistic about the evidence. Q: There is a section in your book where you speak about the first Indians. Could you elaborate a bit on who the first Indians were? Truschke: I am taking from Tony Joseph there, who has an excellent book called The Early Indians. The first Indians were not actually the first Homo Sapiens to set foot on the Indian subcontinent. That would be the group that came 1,20,000 years ago. But they all died out. About 65,000 years ago, another migrant group came. They came eastwards roughly from Africa and entered the subcontinent, and some of those people survived. They have left behind a genetic lineage that is shared by some, not all, modern Indians. It is especially strong in South India. We call them the first Indians because they are the first ones to make it. Q: You also write that you have included a diverse representation of voices, especially those of women and the oppressed castes, in your telling of Indian history. Could you give a few examples? Truschke: Like many historians right now, I too think it is so important to have a more diverse set of voices when we are looking at the past. The thing is, it is hard because the people who tend to be recorded tend to be members of dominant social groups. In South Asia, that means they tend to be men, they tend to be upper caste, and they tend to be Hindu. I am looking for people who don't fit that bill. I think it is important to find diverse voices to explain key shifts in South Asian history. For example, when I cover the advent of Buddhism about 2,400 years ago, I cite from the Therigatha, which is a collection of poems and hymns by Buddhist women, collected in the early centuries BCE. Later on, I bring in female voices, for example, when I talk about the Hindu reform movements and criticisms of Hinduism that arose in the 19th century. I do talk about some of the men, such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Vivekananda, but I also talk about Pandita Ramabai, a Brahmin woman who later converted to Christianity. It is harder to bring in voices from the oppressed castes. From ancient India, for instance, we have very little to nothing that was actually written by Shudras and Dalits. It is not until later that we get texts authored by Shudras and Dalits, but I at least try to bring in texts about them. For example, I have a section where I am talking about caste in the 17th century, and I talk about some Shudra kings. I also print part of a Telugu drama written around 1700 CE. It is written by an upper caste individual, but it depicts a Brahmin in a very poor light. It depicts this Brahmin who is lusting after a Dalit woman and is abusing his Brahmanical privilege. He cites Sanskrit verses to her and plays with religion to try to lure the Dalit woman. This is not a Dalit voice, but at least it is a Dalit character. You work with what you have for the historical evidence. There is no getting around the fact that dominant groups are better represented in the South Asian historical record. That is true of all histories in all parts of the world, but that does not absolve historians of doing the hard work of trying to recover what we can, both about and from the perspective of less-discussed, less-represented groups. Q: You also write that India, throughout its ancient and medieval history, has had global connections. Could you elaborate on some of the key historical moments when India's connections with the world were of key importance? Truschke: India has been connected to the world from the beginning and throughout. How people get to India is a story of repeated migrations. The Indus Valley Civilisation had extensive trade connections with Mesopotamia and, possibly through Mesopotamia, with ancient Egypt. The people belonging to Vedic society, which was founded and flourished after the Indus Civilisation, were also migrants. They came from outside into northwestern India and composed the Vedas. The Vedas are an Indian composition, but the language group of that community does have roots from outside originally. People, things, and ideas also left the subcontinent. And South Asia then has some remarkable cultural exports starting in the few centuries before the turn of the CE era. Of course, Buddhism is probably the most well-known one, which travelled both on the sea trade routes and along the Silk Roads, surviving ultimately largely outside of the subcontinent. There are also stories, such as the Panchatantra, and games like chess and Parcheesi that are still popular across the West today. Then there is Sanskrit that travels east to Southeast Asia. All of this attests to India and the subcontinent more broadly being part of an interconnected world. Q: We know that history in India has become a major topic of debate. How would you say your book addresses the current politics around history in the country? Truschke: Firstly, I think my book is pretty staunchly, openly, and decidedly a non-nationalist history, down to the title. As I say in the introduction, the India that I refer to in the title is not the modern nation state of India. The modern nation state of India was born yesterday from a historian's perspective. It is less than a century old. I use India in the title and throughout most of the book, until the last couple of chapters, in its historic sense of the subcontinent. It is a geographical designation, and it very much includes Bangladesh, Pakistan, and southern parts of Afghanistan. I realise that is going to be a little uncomfortable for a lot of readers who are really used to India being the modern nation state with militarised borders, an army, and a set of nationalist symbols. The second way in which I address nationalism—and I think this will be particularly important for younger readers, under the age of about 30 or 35—is by giving a fair amount of the history of Hindu nationalism. I think Hindu nationalists do not like talking about their own history. There are some dark parts of that history, the Nazi loving stuff, the fascist stuff, the fact that it is largely a European import, and the fact that it was unpopular for most of its existence. Forty years ago, no respectable Indian would touch Hindu nationalism. I think that is very hard to understand if you are 30 years old and living in Hyderabad or Bombay or Delhi or Ahmedabad or wherever, and Hindutva is what you know. My book charts that history, among many other facets of Indian and South Asian histories. Adrija Roychowdhury leads the research section at She writes long features on history, culture and politics. She uses a unique form of journalism to make academic research available and appealing to a wide audience. She has mastered skills of archival research, conducting interviews with historians and social scientists, oral history interviews and secondary research. During her free time she loves to read, especially historical fiction. ... Read More


Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Final walk of the legend': As Tigress Arrowhead dies, Ranthambore National Park, admirers bid goodbye to queen of the jungle
Tourists and flocking to the Ranthambore National Park hoping for close encounters with its famed wildlife, for in the scorching summer heat, animals, including the big cats, move towards the streams for water. However, even amid that noice, Ranthambore is quieter now. Tigress T-84, famous as Arrowhead, died on June 19 following prolonged illness. The bone cancer she was diagnosed with finally caught up with her. For those familiar with the forest, Arrowhead wasn't just another tiger. Among the many in the park, T-84 had a towering presence, her territory, a legendary story, and now a legacy. Wildlife photographer Sachin Rai saw her just two evenings before she passed. She was by the banks of Padam Talab, struggling to move. 'She tried to get up, took a few steps, then collapsed near a tree,' Rai said in the caption of an Instagram Reel he posted posted, a video that captured Arrowhead, now just a shadow of what she was – frail and tired – walking in slow motion near the lake. 'I knew it was close to the end,' he wrote. Watch the video here: A post shared by Sachin Rai (@sachin_rai_photography) Rai's connection to her goes back years. He had photographed her as a cub, followed her through her rise as a mother and protector of her patch. Arrowhead didn't always have it easy – she lost some of her early litters, faced pressure from incoming males, and was eventually displaced from her own ground by her daughter, Riddhi. But she kept going. Even last year, when her health was already fading, she raised another litter. In a moving post, the official yet unverified Instagram page of the Ranthambore National Park said, 'She was the pride of our forest.' The post was a photo of Arrowhead, dead, and it mentioned that just hours before Arrowhead died, her daughter was relocated to the Mukundra reserve. A strange coincidence. Or maybe not. Here is the post: A post shared by Ranthambore National Park (@ranthambhorepark) Surya Sadasivan, senior public policy professional and a wildlife enthusiast, a regular at Ranthambore, told that she has seen Arrowhead from her sub adult days. 'I still remember the first time I saw Arrowhead as a young tigress in Ranthambore. There was something truly magical about her. She wasn't the first tiger I'd ever encountered, but she stayed with me in a way I didn't expect. She embodied the spirit of a true wild tigress – fierce, graceful, and resilient till the very end,' Sadasivan said. 'Even in her fragile final days, she gave us one last glimpse of her strength. Watching her take down a crocodile despite her condition was a powerful reminder of who she really was – the original queen of the jungle,' Sadasivan said, referring to a video that went viral on Instagram, shared on June 8. Watch the video here: Trigger warning: The content could be disturbing for some A post shared by Phillip Ross (@philliprossphotography) A video shared by wildlife photographer Jayanth Sharma two years ago showed Arrowhead in action, hunting a shot shell turtle. Watch the video here: A post shared by Jayanth Sharma (@jayanth_sharma) Arrowhead came from a remarkable bloodline. She was the daughter of Krishna, and granddaughter of Machli, both legends in their own right. But Arrowhead had something of her own. She was known for her independence, her defiance. She wasn't the most photographed, but those who did manage to see her never forgot it. Reactions to her death have been pouring in. Comments on social media range from poetic to simple: 'Rest well, Queen,' one wrote. Another user just said, 'Heartbroken.' 'I wish I'd had the chance to see her one last time, but I'll always carry her memory with me. Arrowhead was a legend. Her grace, her courage, and her legacy will live on in the forest—and in our hearts,' Sadasivan said. We can't measure what a wild animal means to a forest, or to the people who watch over it. But for Ranthambore, Arrowhead was more than a name on a chart. She was part of the story, from the early morning safaris to the quiet nights when only the forest could hear her. Now, there's just silence. But somewhere out there, her cubs still walk. And so, the story continues.