The haunting cries you hear are those of a mother—a call that may never be answered. Reporting on today’s tragedy is a heavy task. This is not about numbers or statistics. Today, we look beyond the death toll of the Ahmedabad plane crash and share the stories of three lives, three dreams, and three families shattered forever.

One of the victims was Naganthoi Sharma Kang, a crew member on the ill-fated Air India flight. When her family received the news, it felt as if their world had collapsed. Sitting on the red-tiled floor, family members frantically flipped through photo albums, desperate for one last glimpse of their beloved daughter. Her mother kept repeating, “Where has my child gone?” while a relative cried out for her phone, wanting to see pictures of Naganthoi. Imagine the pain of a family whose daughter soared the skies to serve others, now searching for her only in photographs.

Next is Khushboo Rajpurohit, a newlywed from a small village in Rajasthan’s Balotra district. The henna on her hands had barely faded—she had married Manphool Singh in January. Manphool was studying in London, and Khushboo was traveling to meet her husband for the first time since their wedding. She must have carried so many hopes and dreams, so much excitement for this reunion. The last video of Khushboo shows her bidding farewell to her family as she left home, not knowing it would be her final goodbye. She was on her way to meet her husband, but never reached her destination. In a single moment, a family, a village, and a husband waiting in London lost everything.

Then there is Aparna Mahadik Tatkare, another crew member on the same flight. Aparna was the niece of prominent NCP leader and Member of Parliament Sunil Tatkare. Her story carries another layer of heartbreak—her husband, Amol, is himself a pilot with Air India. Just three hours before the crash, Amol had landed his plane in Delhi. Upon hearing the news, he rushed to Ahmedabad for his wife. A pilot who helps thousands reach their destinations every day could not save his own wife. One can only imagine the agony of a man who knows how precious every moment in the sky is, and wonders how his wife’s final moments must have been.

Naganthoi, Khushboo, Aparna—these are not just three names. They are three of the 242 stories that ended prematurely that day. Every seat held a dream, every face belonged to a family.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that this grief is beyond words. The plane’s black box has been recovered and investigations are underway. While the cause of the crash may eventually be known, will that mother see her daughter again? Will that husband reunite with his wife? Will that pilot ever bring his beloved back? The answer is no.

In this difficult time, all we can do is pray for the families left behind. The purpose of sharing these stories is not just to bring sorrow, but to remind us that behind every statistic is a human being, a life, a story. May the souls of all those lost in this tragic accident rest in peace.