Sujata, who lived in Andheri, had a BA degree in philosophy from Bhavan's College, Andheri. According to her networking profile, she believed in Buddhist philosophy, loved dancing to hip hop, swore by the television show Friends and hated books, which she mischievously described as "good sleeping pills".
The young woman, who had been working with Air India Express for the last three years, was expecting a transfer back to Mumbai, after postings in Cochin and then Mangalore. She loved her job. "I believe I can fly and so I am" she wrote in her job description on her profile. "She had struggled a lot to become an air hostess. She first worked at a call centre for two years and kept trying to clear exams for cabin crew training," said Divya Sherpa, a neighbour of the Survase family. "She was thrilled to have got her first
posting in Cochin. However, since was away from home most of the time, her family wanted her to take a transfer to Mumbai." Added another friend, "She had offers from many other airlines but opted for AI because it is the national carrier."
Sujata's networking profile resembles that of any person her age with regular updates about her mood, philosophical takes on relationships and notes on her love for travel. Her ideal match, she said, was Richard Gere. "I appear to be the one with a lot of attitude," she wrote when asked to describe herself. "That saves me from a lot of unwanted attention." Sujata had joined the sites "to network and date", and said that she found male chauvinism to be the most unattractive trait in a man.
One of Sujata's friends had to break the tragic news to her parents early on Saturday. Her parents and two brothers were flown to Mangalore in one of AI's rescue flights.
Tejal Kamulkar's fascination with aviation uniforms, looking good and jetting across the globe made her pursue her dream of becoming an air hostess. But barely three months after the 25-year-old Dombivli girl's dreams had taken wing with a posting in Mangalore, destiny chose death for her.
Tragically Tejal's mother, Bharati, was completely unaware of her daughter's death till late Saturday and was still awaiting the usual phone call that she always got after Tejal had boarded or disembarked from a flight this time, uncannily, the young woman for the first time did not call even when the flight left Dubai.
"She is still expecting Tejal to call any moment," a close friend of the Kamulkars said.
Tejal, who had just celebrated her birthday on May 5 at home, was a fan of Maine Pyaar Kiya and Jab We Met and was hooked to reality shows according to her social networking profile. She loved Indian cuisine and listed the five things she couldn't live without as "family, God's prayer, meditation, water and friends". An avid football and cricket fan, she described herself as an ambitious and friendly girl with a "clever sense of humour".
"She was a fun-loving and caring person who was extremely determined to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an air hostess," recalled Pradnya Lele, Tejal's friend and next-door neighbour at Saubhagya building in Dombivli. Choked with emotion, friends recalled how Tejal, who was blessed with a "presentable personality, sharp features and expressive nature", would often discuss flying with them. A commerce graduate from Model College in Dombivli, the young woman had enrolled for a certificate course with IATA and also underwent training in an air-hostess academy before taking up her first assignment with AI.
Former associates in the Kalina hostel, where Tejal used to live before her posting to Mangalore, remember her as someone who kept a low profile. "She always kept to herself. While most girls would come to the common room to watch television, Tejal would step out only to leave the hostel," a hostel official said. "But she always sported a wide smile on her face," she added.
"We celebrated her 25th birthday on May 5 and today she is no longer in our midst. It sounds so unreal but we cannot challenge fate," a relative said. Tejal's father Anil, who works with a private firm in Dubai, has proceeded to Mangalore to collect hid daughter's remains.
