New Delhi

Mother’s worst fear comes true

NEW DELHI: Fifty-five-year-old Sneh Jain was always opposed to the idea of her son Neeraj becoming a pilot. She feared for his life and did not want her youngest son to pursue a career in aviation. But little did she know that her worst fear would come true one day: Neeraj was killed in a plane crash in Hyderabad on Monday.

“We all tried to convince him not to pursue a career in flying as it involved a great risk. But he did not listen to us. He would always talk of aeroplanes. Soon we all acquiesced and were happy to see that he had realised his dream. But no one knew what destiny had in store for him,” said Neeraj’s 60-year-old aunt Brijbala Jain, a resident of Ahimsa Apartments in Rohini Sector-9.

Surrounded by grieving neighbours and acquaintances, Ms. Jain could not believe that Pintoo, as Neeraj was fondly known among the family, was no more.

“It was around 11 a.m. when my husband Hemchand told me over the telephone that Pintoo had got injured in an accident. A few minutes later, he called me up again to say that Pintoo had died. We were looking forward to his 25th birthday on September 23. His parents were planning for his marriage. Everything was shattered in a moment,” said Ms. Jain, who along with her family has been staying in the Capital for over a decade.

Neeraj’s father Sukhmal Chand Jain, a native of Baraut in Uttar Pradesh, is a realtor. His elder brother Dheeraj (27) helps his father in the family business and sister Chilman (29) is staying at Ghaziabad with her husband.

Neelam Jain, a neighbour of Neeraj’s uncle Hemchand, said: “We came to know Neeraj a few years ago when he came to stay with his uncle here in connection with his studies. He was very amiable and mixed easily with the people. I still remember him studying till late at night during his exams. He was very hard-working.”

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