3 days ago
Newly engaged couple among victims of AI-171 crash
Surat: What began as a joyous chapter in the lives of Surat's Vibhuti Patel and Botad's Hardik Avaiya ended in heartbreak, as the young couple lost their lives in the tragic Air India AI-171 incident.
The two had recently returned to Gujarat to celebrate their engagement, only to meet a tragic end on their journey back to the UK.
Vibhuti Patel (27), a native of Umbhel village in Surat's Kamrej taluka, had completed her bachelor's degree in physiotherapy from a college in Surat before moving to the UK to pursue her master's at Leicester College. There she met Hardik Avaiya, a fellow student from Botad. The two soon fell in love and decided to spend their lives together.
"They had come home on a 10-day leave to get engaged," said Darshan Patel, deputy sarpanch of Umbhel village, while speaking to The TOI. "Vibhuti was once a member of the Umbhel gram panchayat and was known to be a bright and dedicated student. The couple had just celebrated their engagement in Umbhel last week before boarding AI-171 to return to the UK."
Their love story, which blossomed thousands of miles from home, had won the blessings of both families.
Vibhuti's father works as a clerk at a local banana co-operative. She is survived by her younger sister and brother.
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