Actor Ajay Singh Chaudhary remembers neighbour, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal — the co-pilot of ill-fated AI171 flight
Actor Ajay Singh Chaudhary fondly remembers his neighbour of over twelve years, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal — the co-pilot of the ill-fated AI171 flight — as 'an ever-smiling and lively being.'
On the day of the crash, Ajay was shooting for his TV show when his mother called to break the news: 'In a shaky voice she told me, 'Pilot Sumeet was in that flight…' and broke down. I couldn't believe what I just heard. You never truly believe such things can happen to anyone until that person is one of your own.'
He shares that days before the crash, his mother, who is part of a local yoga group, met Sumeet during a morning stroll in Mumbai. Sumeet mentioned he'd be flying to Ahmedabad in three days, then onwards to London.
Ajay admitted it was difficult to visit Sumeet's bereaved father. 'There was a profound silence in their home without Sumeet's presence. Log aa rahe hain, jaa rahe hain, phir bhi sab khamosh hai. It's difficult to talk to his father as he cries and then sits looking in the void. Thankfully the captain's sister and her kids are with him. Our [housing] society has families from the forces. It's like one big family, and we will stand by him. But nothing makes up for his loss,' concludes Ajay.
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