*Tragedy in the Skies: NRI Dies in Air India Crash After Fulfilling Wife’s Last Wish*
by Ashis Sinha
In a deeply emotional tragedy that has gripped hearts across two continents, 36-year-old NRI Arjun Patolia, a father of two from London, perished in the Air India Dreamliner crash on Thursday—just days after fulfilling his late wife’s dying wish in Gujarat.
Arjun had travelled to India to honour the last request of his wife Bharati, who passed away on May 26. Her wish: to have her ashes immersed in her ancestral village pond in Vadia, Amreli district. After performing her final rites in the family’s native village, Arjun boarded the ill-fated Air India Boeing 787-8 from Ahmedabad to London, hoping to reunite with his two young daughters, aged just 8 and 4, whom he had left behind in the UK.
But fate had a cruel turn. The aircraft crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 270 people, including Arjun. The tragedy left his family shattered—and his daughters now orphaned, having lost both parents in less than a month.
“He came here to fulfil her last wish and now he too is gone,” said a neighbour, quoted by NDTV, in a choked voice. Arjun’s father had already passed away, and his elderly mother—now inconsolable—lives alone in Surat.
Just days before the crash, the family had held a memorial service for Bharati in Vadia. Arjun had stayed back to complete the religious ceremonies, even as his daughters waited for his return in London, unaware that another cruel twist of fate loomed ahead.
The Air India Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian, plummeted shortly after takeoff. Officials say only one passenger, seated in 11A, miraculously survived and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital, according to the Ahmedabad Police.
A Tale of Love, Loss, and a Life Cut Short
Arjun Patolia’s story has struck a chord globally—of a husband’s devotion, a father’s duty, and a cruel fate that shattered a young family. His daughters, now in the care of relatives in London, face a future without both their mother and father.
As investigations into the crash continue, this human story stands out amid the statistics—a heart-wrenching reminder of the lives behind the headlines.
