A mother’s fears turned into unbearable grief after her 19-year-old son, Delhi University student Arpit, was among seven people killed when a paying guest accommodation collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area.
A mother’s heartbreaking regret
Arpit, a second-year student at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College, had returned to Delhi from Madhya Pradesh after spending Rakshabandhan with his family. He had spoken to his mother around 12.30 pm on Sunday, shortly before the building collapsed.
His mother had reportedly urged him not to return to Delhi, but Arpit insisted as his classes were about to resume. After learning of the collapse and later seeing her son’s body, she was overcome with grief and repeatedly questioned why she had allowed him to return.
Dreams cut short in a sudden tragedy
Arpit had been pursuing B.Com and preparing for the Chartered Accountancy examinations. His friends remembered him as a warm and close companion who had been looking forward to attending college and going to a concert with them.
Those simple plans were never fulfilled. Friends spent hours searching for him after the collapse before his family identified him at AIIMS.
The building, which housed a boys’ PG accommodation, collapsed while repair work was reportedly underway. Twelve people were rescued, but seven died.
The building owner was apprehended, while police registered a case and authorities ordered an inquiry into the incident. The tragedy has also renewed concerns about the safety of private PG accommodations used by students in Delhi.