I still can't believe it, says Dubai crash victim's wife

Manisha Vikram Thakur, a young sales executive, cried inconsolably at the Al Rashidiya Police Station after being told she had lost her husband Vikram Jawahar Thakur and cousin Roshni Moolchandani in the Dubai tourist bus crash.
It was a narrow escape for her as she had also planned to go with her husband, cousin and a group of friends to Salalah in Oman during the Eid holidays. However, due to some pending office work, she opted out and stayed back in Dubai.
"I still cannot believe it. I spoke to my husband in the afternoon and he said he was on his way back. I had no idea about the accident until Roshni's brother called me. I then called the police number he gave me and was told my husband was no more. I rushed to the police station only to find out that even my cousin was dead. I am devastated."
Manisha came to the UAE four years back and had been married for eight years. Her husband Vikram, 30, was from Pune, India while cousin Roshni, 22, worked at Five Palm Jumeira group and hailed from Ajmer.
After paper work, Manisha was taken to the Dubai Forensics department where she identified the bodies of her husband and cousin, who died on the spot of the accident.
Manisha, 24, was accompanied by her colleague Siddharth Bhardwaj and her boss Girish Gupta, who were by her side, consoling her and helping her with the formalities required to repatriate the bodies. Ahmed, a Lebanese neighbour of Manisha, was also present at the police station to support her. "I heard Manisha howling in the apartment and when I checked on her, she told me about the tragic news. I immediately got her with me to the police station."
The bodies will be repatriated to India as soon as the paper work is completed.
In another corner of the police station, a grief-stricken Anoop waited patiently to get the paper work done for his friend and colleague Kiran Johnny, a 26-year-old mechanical engineer, who also died on the spot in the accident. "He had just started his first job in the UAE about six-eight months back. His parents are in Thrissur, Kerala, and he also has an elder brother in Dubai. His brother is not in the right state of mind to do the repatriation formalities which is why I am here."
Johnny, a Dubai resident, had gone to visit his friend in Oman during the Eid break.
There was a large group of social workers, friends and supporters of Jamaludeen Arakkaveettil, another accident victim who was known in his circle for his social work.
An employee of a Dubai-based media firm, Jamaludeen stayed alone in Dubai and was on his way back from Oman after visiting his friend during the Eid holidays. He is survived by his wife and daughters back home in Kerala.
saman@khaleejtimes.com