AHMEDABAD: For businessman Saurin Palkhiwala, the news of Air India Flight 171's crash brought back the most painful memories of his life.
In the 1988 air tragedy in Ahmedabad, he had lost his sister's prospective father-in-law. On June 12, his 26-year-old daughter Sanjana was among the 241 passengers who perished in one of the worst aviation disasters the country has seen.
"When I got the news of the AI 171 plane crash, shock numbed me as I had witnessed a crash site before. Instinctively, I knew I had lost my daughter and prayed for her. I rushed home from the office, picked my wife Sonali and left for Civil Hospital," says Palkhiwala, his voice breaking. In 1988, a young Palkhiwala had dashed to the crash site to find that his sister's to-be father-in-law, merchant banker Pradeep Harkishandas Dalal, had succumbed to his injuries.
Now, he is reeling from the grief of losing his only daughter, Sanjana, who was flying to the UK for a reunion with her friends from college.
The Palkhiwalas say the almighty blessed them with a child late and took her back early. "Sanjana was born to us 14 years after marriage. My wife is an ardent devotee of Goddess Gayatri and when Sanjana was born, we were grateful for the divine gift. She was a brilliant student. Our home is full of her memories and wonderful paintings. After completing her BBA from Pune, she pursued her master's in management of technology (MOT) from New York University. She was going to the UK for a reunion with her college friends," Palkhiwala said.
The family has adorned the house with numerous pictures of Sanjana through various phases of her short life, and is going through a difficult time of processing her untimely death.
"The only way to come to terms with this loss is to know that it is almighty's wish. We cannot do anything in such a situation. Just the other day we were planning her engagement and then performed her last rites and held a besna," the anguished father said.
Sanjana was a connoisseur of global cuisine and was keen on starting a business in the food sector. Saloni Palkhiwala, Sanjana's cousin, said, "We bonded very well and were like twin sisters. She had just started playing tennis and enjoyed cricket. She was a lively person who loved dancing, reading, painting and travelling."