THE DAY AFTER THE SKIES FELL

This campus—BJMC—was Ground Zero for Flight 171. How students and faculty are coping with the trauma

- By Jumana Shah

FOR DR NISHA PRAJAPATI, the sound of an airplane flying overhead every few minutes used to be a “privilege”.

That pure response became impossible after June 12, when Air India Flight 171 crashed into her universe: the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College (BJMC). Now, every time the sound of an aircraft taking off fills the OPD, the trauma is relived. Scared glances are momentarily exchanged. “But the moment passes, and we break out into laughter, with lame jokes about our fears. That’s our coping mechanism,” says Dr Prajapati.