Silence in the Sky: Cabin attendant mourns best friend lost in Ahmedabad plane crash
For over two decades in the aviation industry, the noise of an airplane engine was the backdrop to an unbreakable friendship between two Air India cabin attendants, which included Shradha Dhavan, one of the crew members on board the ill-fated plane to London that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Their bond, forged in the skies and strengthened by countless shared takeoffs and landings, was characterised by a simple, unwavering ritual: A phone call after every landing or before the takeoff of a flight.
But that ritual was tragically broken on Thursday, when Shradha's flight from Ahmedabad crashed minutes after taking off and killed 241 of the 242 people on board, leaving her friends in shock and sorrow.
"For 21 years, ever since we joined Air India together, we never missed calling each other before or after every landing and takeoff," her close friend (name withheld) said on Friday as her voice choked.
"When Shradha was taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, I thought I would chat with her once the plane lands in London. But that call never happened," she said.
The news of the air crash has ripped through her world, leaving her with a profound sense of loss.
"With the passing of Shradha, some portion of my soul has been taken away," she said, her words a testament to the depth of their connection.
More than just colleagues, Shradha was her confidante, her anchor in the transient world of aviation.
Their friendship wasn't just about navigating international time zones and serving passengers; it was about a shared future.
"We had plans of calling it a day once our children got settled in life," she recalled, adding that "we decided to go on long vacations. All those dreams of exploring the world together after dedicating our lives to the skies... They're just memories now".
As investigations into the tragic crash continue, countless people are left to mourn their loved ones, and a future that will never be.
"The silence on the other end of the line is a stark reminder of the fragile nature of life and the indelible mark left by those we love," she said, as she prepared to visit Shardha's 15-year-old daughter at her house.
