Most don’t. We check in with excitement, dreaming of new experiences—holidays, reunions, fresh starts. The seatbelt clicks. The engines roar. And we think about the destination, not the dangers.
But on June 12, 2025, dreams turned to dust in just 60 seconds.
Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London is a routine Dreamliner route. It is a plane engineered to be safe, reliable, and nearly poetic in flight. But that day, the dream died.
The aircraft plunged moments after takeoff. What followed was horror no one could’ve imagined.
The tragedy reached even further, crashing into a medical college building, killing students and others who weren’t even on the flight. They were attending lectures, walking down hallways, perhaps making lunch plans. Their lives were stolen without warning. No chance to run, no time to react.
When Life Refuses Logic
Yet, amid this devastation, two stories emerged that defy all reason:
A man walked out alive from the wreckage.
A woman missed the flight by 10 minutes.
How do you explain that?
You don’t. You can’t.
We call it fate, destiny, or providence—words we reach for when logic fails us and grief demands meaning.
The Aftermath of Shock
In the hours after the crash, disbelief gripped everyone. People asked: What if it had been me?
The randomness was too close to home.
Conversations changed—for a while:
“Why do we chase things that don’t matter?”
“I’ll hug my kids a little longer tonight.”
“From today, I’ll practice gratitude every day.”
“Enough with the noise. I’ll focus on what truly matters.”
But, as always, time passes. News cycles move on. Life resumes its pace. And we slip back into the familiar hustle, the daily grind, the trivial complaints. The reset fades… until the next disaster strikes.
So, What Now?
Do we keep going as if nothing happened? Do we wait to be shaken again to remember what really counts? Or do we treat this as life handing us a second chance?
Because maybe this is that moment—the one that reminds us how fragile it all is. That no amount of planning, success, or status can outpace fate. That our best shot at meaning is right here, right now, in how we live, how we treat others, and what we choose to value.
So, hold your people close. Say what needs to be said. Let go of what doesn’t matter. Be good. Do good. Be present.
You never know which flight might be yours.
About Me
I am a thinker at all times. I see, I think. I hear, I think. I read, I think. Every weekend I write. I would love to know what you think.