'Woh har flight mein apne saath Bhagavad Gita zarur rakhti thi': Air India crash victim Maithili Patil's father breaks down
PTC Web Desk: A heartbreaking silence now looms over Nhava village in Uran Taluka, Navi Mumbai — the hometown of Maithili Patil, the young Air India cabin crew member who lost her life in the tragic Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad. While the wreckage bore the scars of intense flames and destruction that claimed 260 lives, a single miracle emerged from the ashes: a pristine, untouched hard copy of the Bhagavad Gita.
This sacred book, unburned by the inferno that left even human remains charred, belonged to Maithili — a devout follower of Lord Krishna. Her father, Moreshwar Patil, broke down while sharing the emotional revelation. “Maithili ki dost ne phone karke bataya ki woh usi viman mein thi. Meri beti Bhagwan Shri Krishna ki sachi bhakt thi. Woh har flight mein apne saath Krishna ka murti aur Bhagavad Gita zarur rakhti thi,” he sobbed, recalling how his daughter always carried her faith wherever she flew.
Maithili, just 22, had shouldered the responsibilities of her family when her father had to stop working due to ill health. Despite financial hardships, she chased her dreams with determination and pride, becoming the first woman from her fishing village to become a cabin crew member with Air India.
On June 17, Maithili’s mortal remains returned home — a village once filled with dreams now enveloped in grief. Out of 12 crew members, she was one of the few from Maharashtra. She had called her father just before boarding the ill-fated flight to London, promising to call again upon landing. That call never came.
Maithili was not just a daughter, but a beacon of inspiration for every young girl with dreams above her circumstances. She studied at Lady Khatun Marium School, where she excelled academically and never let her humble roots clip her wings. Her school principal remembered her with pride: “She was humble, disciplined, and always stayed connected to us. Just two months ago, she returned to inspire our students and told them that even girls from small towns can reach the skies.”
In a world that often forgets quiet heroes, Maithili Patil’s story lives on — in the pages of a Gita that survived fire, and in the hearts of those who now dream because she dared to.
- With inputs from agencies
