1 year since Air India 171 crash: A phone rings daily with 'Kaise ho aap?' from a Pakistani co-worker
On his commute to work in London, Omar Ali makes it a point to call Savdhanbhai, discussing everything from the weather and health issues to food and family life. Their conversations often revolve around ordinary moments.
IT has been a year since the Ahmedabad Air India crash that killed 260 people, and the painful memories remain vivid for the friends and families of the victims.
“Kaise ho aap… theek ho? (How are you?)" Omar Ali, a Pakistani colleague at a fancy goods store in London, checks in with his co-worker Kamlesh Chaudhary's parents in India. Chaudhary, from a hamlet in Gujarat, and his wife, Dhapuben, were on the doomed Air India -171 that crashedon 12 June 2025.
After the tragedy, 40-year-old Omar, who works at the fancy goods store in London, started regularly calling Chaudhary's father, Savdhanbhai, a 48-year-old farmer in Thavar, to check on him and offer emotional support. What began as condolences has turned into a deep friendship between the two families, The Indian Express reported.
'Hamein zara sa nakhoon me bhi dard hota hai toh Omar poochta hai'
On his commute to work in London, Ali makes a point of calling Savdhanbhai, discussing everything from the weather and health issues to food and family life. Their conversations often revolve around ordinary moments — Savdhanbhai's infected toenail, the cluster beans he had for lunch, or even Ali's clean-shaven appearance. Not a single day has passed without a call or message.
“Hamein zara sa nakhoon me bhi dard hota hai toh Omar poochta hai (Omar calls and asks even if I have a small pain in my toenail)." And if someone is unwell at his home, even if it is a fever, we get to know,” Savdhanbhai told IE.
Reflecting on their bond, Ali says their relationship was made possible by Kamlesh, whom he considers the link that brought the two families together.
Despite never expecting such closeness, Ali says speaking with Savdhanbhai and offering comfort has become a source of solace for him. “I always tell Savdhanbhai, God made our relationship possible; Kamlesh was the medium for that to happen. I never thought I would be so close to this family. Mere dil ko sukoon sa milta hai inse bat karke aur tassalli de kar (I find peace of mind and comfort talking to them and reassuring them).”
The UK-bound journey of Kamlesh Chaudhary and Dhapuben was meant to mark the start of a new life abroad. Instead, the young couple from Thavar village in Dhanera lost their lives when the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off, shattering years of hopes and plans.
What happened on 12 June 2025?
Flight AI171 crashed into the hostel complex of a medical college in Meghaninagar on 12 June last year, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground. Only one passenger survived. The incident occurred shortly after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad and was en route to London's Gatwick Airport.
