The 37-year-old officer belonged to Hisar and was the younger son of an academician and a bank officer.
Just three months ago, Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi who died in the Surya Kiran crash in Bengaluru on Tuesday, had completed 10 years of marital life with his childhood sweetheart Himani. The duo often shared mushy posts on social media, promising to "grow old with each other" in messages exchanged on the platform. Fate, however, cast its long shadow on the couple as Gandhi succumbed to injuries on Tuesday while practicing aerobatics for the upcoming Aero Show in the city.
The 37-year-old officer belonged to Hisar and was the younger son of an academician and a bank officer. While his mother taught at Home Science College, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, his father retired from State Bank of India. His elder brother is working in Germany. Gandhi, a National Defence Academy alumnus was commissioned in 2004, and was a first-generation air force officer.
Manu, as he was fondly called by family, school teachers and friends, remember him as a focused, self-contained and disciplined child. "Sahil was meticulous and shone in academics. He knew what he wanted from life early on and it reflected in the way he performed in the class. I do not recall any incident where I had to reprimand him for not doing homework or missing my class. We have lost a school star," said HL Sharma, who taught him during high school.
Another teacher DNA spoke to, Brijlata Khetarpal choked with emotions as she recounted an obedient "Manu Gandhi", manning the assembly every morning. "He was the cynosure of all teachers. Not just studies, he came on tops in debates and declamations too. A shy and quiet kid otherwise, he was an all rounder with Science and Maths being his favourite subjects," she said.
Gandhi was a family man- who tried to be with his wife and five-year-old son as much as he could since Himani was working in the US. She, however, frequently travelled to India. Friends close to the family shared that at the time of the crash too, she was in the US along with the son and it was Himani who called up the family in India and broke the news.
For old friends of the couple who had seen love blossom between the two, Gandhi would remain the perfect husband, always doting on his wife who was a school junior. "They were so madly in love like a fairy tale match. We often joked that they were still teenagers. Both of them lit up when together. My heart breaks by just imagining how Himani will cope with such a huge loss," Neha B, an old pal said.
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