Divine delays: How seven lives dodged the Air India disaster

Economic Times

a day ago

On June 12th, fate intervened for seven individuals scheduled to board Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London, which tragically crashed. A mother's plea, visa issues, a sudden feeling of unease, traffic delays, and business obligations all conspired to keep them off the ill-fated flight, unknowingly saving their lives from impending disaster.
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A mother's tears
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Turned away at the gate
A feeling he couldn't name
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Stopped by the streets
The business that bought time
A seat deferred
Fate doesn't always arrive with a thunderclap. Sometimes, it slips quietly into our lives—a mother's trembling voice, an unexpected traffic jam, a phone call made without reason. On June 12, seven people who were meant to be aboard Air India Flight 171 discovered just how loud a whisper from destiny can be, reported TOI.The flight, which was to take off from Ahmedabad en route to London, never made it. And for these would-be passengers, a twist of timing, intuition, or sheer inconvenience became the line between life and death.According to the report, Yaman Vyas had everything ready. After two years working in the UK, the warehouse employee was concluding a long-overdue visit to his family in Vadodara. His return ticket to London was confirmed, his documents in order, and his bags packed.Then, as he prepared to leave for the airport, his mother broke down. 'Thhoda divas rokai jaa ne, beta,' she said.Her voice, heavy with emotion, cut through his resolve. His father quietly echoed her plea. In that moment, Yaman made a snap decision—he cancelled his flight.Later that day, the news broke. 'My phone started buzzing with messages about the crash. I just stood there, stunned. My mother's tears had saved my life.'For Jaimin Patel, 29, and Priya Patel, 25, their flight to London was meant to mark the start of a joyful vacation with a friend abroad, TOI noted. Their visas were sorted, their bags packed, said the news outlet. But when they reached the Air India check-in counter, things unraveled.Airline staff flagged discrepancies in their paperwork. Without clearance, they couldn't issue boarding passes.The couple pleaded, insisting there wasn't time to resolve the issue before departure. The staff refused to budge. 'We begged them,' Jaimin said. 'We were so angry, so frustrated. We just wanted to board the plane.'After a tense hour at the airport, they returned home—defeated.Then the phone rang.'A friend said, 'Turn on the TV—now.' When I saw the news, I couldn't breathe. That plane we were desperate to board… it had crashed. I've never been so thankful for being denied something," she told TOI.Savji Timbadia had seat 1A reserved, TOI reported. His bags were packed, his mind set on visiting his son in London. But early that morning, a quiet discomfort crept in. There was no panic, no warning—just unease.He picked up the phone and called his son. 'I said I wouldn't be coming. I didn't feel like flying today,' he recalled. 'He asked why, but I had no answer. I just felt off," he told TOI.When he later turned on the television, his inexplicable hesitation made perfect sense. 'I realised what that feeling meant. Lord Swaminarayan saved me.'Bhoomi Chauhan was running late. Ahmedabad's infamous traffic had thrown her journey to the airport into chaos. Detours, bottlenecks, jams—by the time she arrived, it was 12:20 p.m. The boarding gates had closed at 12:10.She pleaded with the staff. They were unmoved.Heartbroken and angry, Bhoomi turned around and began the long journey back to Bharuch. Minutes later, the crash was all over the news.'I couldn't believe it. Ten minutes of traffic changed everything. I was leaving my son behind in India—I think Ganpati Bappa kept me back.'Jayesh Thakkar is known in Vadodara as the man behind some of the city's biggest garba events. He had every intention of boarding AI 171. But business took him to Kolkata, and delays there made it impossible to return in time.'I realised I wouldn't make it, so I rebooked for later,' he said. That logistical hiccup—frustrating at the time—turned out to be a life-saving decision.Ravji Patel had been through enough, noted TOI. In May, he lost his daughter Bharti to cancer. Her husband, Arjun Patoliya, was flying back to their daughters—ages 8 and 4—in London, after completing her final rites.Arjun asked Ravji to come along, to help him cope, to see the girls. 'He wanted me to come, but I had work here,' Ravji said softly. 'I promised I'd fly out in two weeks. He agreed," he told the news outlet.Now, barely 20 days after losing his daughter, Ravji was left to mourn his son-in-law too.