Life delivered two cruel blows to young sisters in London when they lost their mother to cancer, then their father in the Air India disaster – all within weeks. Four-year-old Kiara and eight-year-old Meera Patoliya became orphans after their father Arjun died in the June 12 crash while returning from fulfilling his wife’s dying wish.
Bharti Patoliya, 34, had battled cancer courageously before passing away in late May. Her final request was for her ashes to be scattered in her Indian hometown. Arjun, 37, made the solemn journey to Gujarat, never imagining he wouldn’t return to their daughters. The Airbus A320 went down just 60 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad, leaving no survivors.
“The cruelty of this timing is unbearable,” said family friend Ramesh Patel. “Those beautiful girls have lost their entire world in less than a month.” The community has rallied around the sisters, with donations pouring into a trust fund that has already surpassed half a million pounds.
The girls will be raised by their paternal uncle and grandmother, who promised: “We’ll keep both their parents’ memories alive every day.”
