In 1999, the hijacked flight IC 814's captain, Devi Sharan, showed immense courage in bringing the passengers safely back to India. But at home, it was his wife, Navneet holding the fort.
In 1999, India witnessed the scariest flight hijack by Pakistani terrorists. It is labelled as the last and the longest hijack in Indian history. The passengers, along with the crew and captain, were kept hostage for over eight days on flight IC 814 at Kandahar in Afghanistan, where the Taliban ruled. The flight was hijacked on December 24, 1999.
The overflowing lavatory, lack of food, and extremely cold temperatures at night made it difficult for the passengers and the crew to survive. While the terrorists were negotiating the lives of 179 passengers with their demands, it was the captain of the flight, Devi Sharan, who showed immense strength. From instantly drafting a plan and giving time to the Indian government to stop the hijack by landing the flight at Amritsar to successfully landing the flight at a neighbouring country, Pakistan. We all have heard about his courage, but not many know it was his wife, Navneet, who was holding his fort up during his absence.
A still from the web series, IC 814: The Kandahar Express!
It is said that behind a successful man, there is a woman, and this is true in the case of Navneet. We stumbled upon a rare interview documented by Rediff. The file document mentions that Navneet didn't looked stressed, but rather, she was sitting with Devi Sharan's wife, and was the stabilising factor at the captain's home. Describing the state of Navneet, the interviewer wrote:
"His wife Navneet is not the picture of a distraught spouse appealing for help. Instead, she sits with her friends and family, sipping coffee. She is the stabilising factor in this household."
In the same interview, Navneet mentioned how, just like others, she was also left scared, shocked and helpless. However, she knew that her husband was an experienced pilot. She had full confidence in her husband. Navneet was quoted as saying:
"When we first heard the news we were shocked and scared. We felt helpless. But then I realised that my husband is an experienced pilot and will not fail in his duty to save his passengers."
While Devi Sharan was going through his worst nightmare at the hands of the five terrorists, his colleagues and friends gave confidence to Navneet and tried to keep the situation at their home relaxed. Captain Devi Sharan was then 37 years old and had 12 years of experience. At that time, he had experience flying an Airbus 300.
The same interview document further mentions how Captain Devi Sharan's daughters, Ashna and Diksha, were playing hide-and-seek with their friends in the Indian Airlines Colony. The daughters were further confident that their father would soon come home. The interviewer described the scene at Captain Devi Sharan's home as:
"Ashna and Diksha are playing hide-and-seek with their friends in the Indian Airlines Colony. The little girls are confident that their father, the captain of Flight 814, will come home tomorrow."
Well, Captain Devi Sharan's wife, Navneet, became the queen, holding the fortress while he was fighting the war with the terrorists on the hijacked flight, IC 814!
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