‘How do I talk to him, he is in the box': Mother mourns AI crash victim as body arrives in city after time-consuming DNA confirmation process
Irfan Shaikh
, a crew member of the ill-fated Air India plane that crashed moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad on June 12, his mother, Taslim, sat frozen in grief, clinging to the coffin containing her son's lifeless body, her eyes fixed and hands trembling as if unwilling to let go of her child.
With relatives and her husband Samir trying to console her, Taslim gazed at the coffin and and murmured, "How do I talk to him? He's in the box." The family performed the last rites at the Hazrat Bilal Eidgah cemetery in Nehrunagar, Pimpri Chinchwad, around 10am.
Irfan's mortal remains were handed over to the family late Friday evening after DNA confirmation. The family brought the body to Pune airport around 7am on Saturday.
A large crowd comprising relatives, friends and politicians from various parties gathered to pay their respects.
The 22-year-old, who was very attached to his mother, made it a point to call his mother before every takeoff and after every landing. Having spoken to her before the ill-fated flight took off, the family knew he was on board when the crash occurred. Upon hearing the about the crash, the family rushed to Ahmedabad that evening, but the DNA matching process delayed the handover of his body, relative Taher said.
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Azhar Khan, another relative, said Taslim was still in a state of deep shock and unable to come to terms with the irreparable loss. "She has not shed a single tear, she is still in trauma," he said, adding that she continued to dial Irfan's phone number, clinging to the hope that he might somehow respond.
"Taslim's silence is concerning us. We want her to express her emotions, to cry or talk, as this numbness is worsening her state," Azhar said.
Irfan, a dedicated aviation professional, joined Air Vistara as cabin crew nearly two years ago after completing training in Pune. He initially flew domestic routes and later transitioned to international flights after Vistara merged with Air India. Tragically, his third day back on duty after a short break to celebrate Bakri Eid with his family in Pune turned out to be his last, as Air India Flight 171 crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12.
He lived in a rented flat in Mumbai while his family resided in Pune.
Among those who gathered to bid him farewell were also his childhood friends from DY Patil School, where Irfan studied up to Std X. "He was one of the few from our group who began working early and made us proud," a friend said, adding, "Even with his hectic schedule, he made time to meet us whenever he was in here."
Irfan's father runs a shop in Sant Tukaramnagar, while his elder brother, Amir, is an IT professional and his mother is a homemaker.
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