KOOTHATTUKULAM: For a long, Athul Thampi desired to buy a Maruti Swift car for his family, and everything was in place for the purchase on Sunday. Although the Cusat civil engineering student’s brother, Ajin, urged him to come home to take delivery of the vehicle from Muvattupuzha, he chose to skip it for a campus concert, which tragically claimed his life.
“It was Athul’s wish to buy the car. He was very involved in finding a suitable used car in Muvattupuzha and was ready to bring the vehicle home on Sunday. When my elder son asked him to come home on Saturday, he expressed his unwillingness, citing a music event on campus. If he had come, he would be still with us. He couldn’t fulfil his dream of buying the car for the family,” says Thampi K T, Athul’s father, crestfallen.
His mother is inconsolable. “I had a feeling that something bad had happened to him even before I heard of his demise,” says Lilly, tears rolling down her cheek. “Since Athul used to visit us every week, I was worried when he failed to turn up. Even before TV channels reported the news, something was worrying me. It deepened when I heard the news. I tried to call him, but my attempts went unanswered,” she said.
Lilly had a conversation with her son an hour before the accident. “He was in a hurry to get to the event. We didn’t get enough time to speak. I didn’t know that it would be our last conversation and that I would never see his smiling face again,” Lilly said.
Eldhose Isaac, a cousin, said Athul was never keen on attending such events. “He was a very private person who liked to keep to himself. It is surprising that he decided to make it to the concert. I don’t know what made him do it,” Eldhose said.
It was around 1 pm when Athul’s mortal remains were brought to his home near Koothattukulam. Over 1,000 people, including students, attended the funeral at Vadakara St John’s Orthodox church. “Though he joined the campus just two months ago through lateral entry, he quickly gelled with us. He was very jovial, and always cheerful. I can’t imagine a room without him. I will miss him a lot,” said Aswin, Athul’s hostel roommate and mechanical engineering student, on the cemetery grounds.