“Because of that child, she is with me…”
These were the trembling words of a mother who, just hours earlier, stood on the edge of unthinkable loss. Bhoomi Chauhan, a resident of, had left her child with her mother before heading to catch the ill-fated Air India Flight 171. The plane, carrying 241 passengers, including 12 crew members, crashed on Thursday. Air India confirmed the tragedy just past midnight on Friday.
Chauhan was meant to be among them.
“…We arrived at the airport late because of traffic. We requested, but they didn’t allow us. When we came out of the airport, we received the news that the plane had crashed,” said her father, recounting the series of delays that spared his daughter’s life.
It wasn’t chance alone that her family believed had intervened. Her mother, holding tightly to her grandchild, told agencies, “We thank God for protecting my daughter. She left her child with me, and it’s all because of God’s blessings; because of that child, she is with me…”
Time, often a ruthless force, turned guardian for Chauhan that day. She had reached the airport just 10 minutes late—10 minutes that redrew the boundary between life and death.
“We arrived at the check-in gate 10 minutes late, but they didn’t allow me, and I returned. They said that it would delay the flight further. I was late because of traffic in the Ahmedabad city area. When I came to know that the flight had crashed, I was totally numb. I thank my mother goddess that I am safe, but the incident is absolutely terrifying,” she said, her voice still echoing in disbelief.
Among the 241 on board, there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. Of them, only one—a British national of Indian origin—survived, airline authorities later confirmed.
For Bhoomi Chauhan and her family, survival was not just a twist of fate but a divine pause—a moment where life whispered just loud enough for them to stop, and in that delay, found mercy.
Also Read: AI-171 Pilot Wanted To Quit Job To Take Care Of His Father https://www.vibesofindia.com/ai-171-pilot-wanted-to-quit-job-to-take-care-of-his-father/
