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Khorshed and Rumi Bhavnagri lived in Byculla in Bombay with their two sons, Vispi who was born on August 9th, 1950, and Ratoo, on December 13th, 1951. As the boys grew up they were extremely interested in all aspects of motoring. Eventually, Vispi and Ratoo set up a garage for motor services and repairs. They also participated in several motor rallies.

In the fateful year of 1980, Vispi and Ratoo were to enter a 1,632 mile cross-country motor rally. The rally was to start on February 23rd, and Vispi and Ratoo decided to take the car out for a trial run from Bombay to Khopoli, before the event. Khorshed narrated what happened just before their sons set out on their journey. “Ratoo hugged me tight, said goodbye and went out. He hardly went down a few steps (we lived on the 2nd floor), then he came running back to the door, to me. Again he hugged me tight and kissed me. I could not understand why, because this was unusual for Ratoo. He went down one floor, then once more he came running back to me and held me tight and hugged me. By then Vispi came to wish me goodbye as well. I told them to drive carefully. They said, ‘Don’t wait for us, mama, we will go till Khopoli and return, or we may stay overnight and come back tomorrow morning.’

“Just as they got into their car, the boys met their father. Rumi told them to drive carefully. Ratoo replied, ‘Why are you worried, daddy? In any case, we can’t go over 30 [miles per hour] since we have just overhauled the engine. We will be alright.’ So, at 8.30 that night, Vispi and Ratoo set out in high spirits along with two mechanics and a friend.”

When they did not return by 8 o’clock the next morning, Khorshed and Rumi began to worry. At 8.30 am a mechanic from the boys’ garage came over saying that there had been an accident somewhere near Khopoli, and that both Vispi and Ratoo were in hospital.

Rumi rounded up a few friends and sped towards the accident site at Khopoli. There they found Vispi and Ratoo’s car smashed into a tree. Nobody was around, but they learned that the boys had been rushed to the hospital a few minutes away. When Rumi got to the hospital, he was told that both Vispi and Ratoo had been killed on the spot, but the other occupants of the car had escaped with minor injuries.

Rumi asked the mechanics what had caused the accident. All they said was, “We were asleep one minute and the next minute there was a crash.” Everything felt unreal to Rumi. He was fortunate to have his friends and neighbours with him to help with the formalities in the hospital. With a heavy heart he returned home and wondered how to break this tragic news to his wife.

As Rumi painfully climbed the stairs to his apartment, Khorshed kept asking him from the landing, “Why have you taken so long? Where are Vispi and Ratoo? Why can’t you move faster?” When Khorshed heard the news, she broke down. She felt she had nothing to live for.

Khorshed’s faith in God was shaken. “I had been very religious,” she said. “Now, for the first time, I began to question whether there was a God. If there was a God then why should He do this terrible thing to me, snatch my sons away when I have never harmed a hair on anyone’s head? I was ready to give up God, religion and life.”