June 12th, 2025—a day drenched in tragedy and silence. Flight AI-171, which had 242 on board, crashed seconds after its departure from Ahmedabad.
What a tragedy!
I still recall a discussion with a pilot friend—his face suddenly serious when he uttered, “My only wish is that I never have to say ‘Mayday’ in my whole flying career.”
But yesterday, the Air Traffic Control heard the nightmarish words:
“MAYDAY, MAYDAY…”
Then—radio silence.
The MAYDAY call is the most urgent international distress call in the skies. It’s reserved for life-or-death emergencies when an aircraft is in grave peril. The word is repeated three times to guarantee clarity and priority. Interestingly, “Mayday” is derived from the French words “m’aider,” meaning “help me.” It’s a call no crew ever hopes to have to make, and one no controller ever hopes to hear.
The terror didn’t stop with the crashing of the plane. Fate had other plans as the plane plunged onto a nearby medical hostel where 50 young resident doctors had assembled for lunch. In the blink of an eye, a place of healing became a graveyard of shattered dreams.
A few physicians, out of sheer fright, jumped out of windows to escape. Others, maybe paralyzed with fear or bruised by the impact, are feared to be in severe trauma—physical, emotional, and mental. The entire extent of the destruction is still unraveling. But one reality is apparent: it was not merely an accident—it was a national loss.
Among all this destruction, there was one survivor among the passengers. Luck? Destiny? Miracle? Questions that perhaps we shall never know the answer to. For that single individual, survival is both a blessing and a sorrow. A life preserved amidst so many perished—it’s a heavy burden to carry.
Those physicians were the future lifesavers of our nation. Genius minds who had opted to serve rather than self. In an instant, a generation of hope was lost, not to disease, but to disaster. What a devastating blow to a nation already stretched for healthcare heroes!
As we weep over the dead, let us not forget: life is fleeting, unpredictable, and precious. May this tragedy be more than just a news headline, but a reminder. A reminder to live purposefully, to love without regrets, and to never take a second for granted.
To the lone survivor: May you bear courage. To the country: May we draw strength. And to the deceased—doctors and passengers—may your souls rest in eternal peace.
May your final flight find peace in the skies beyond.
The Momma Clan 
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