A young woman from Guwahati's Noonmati, identified as Hrishita Lahon, died in a road accident in Noida on September 28 while travelling as a passenger on a Rapido bike taxi.
According to her family, the bike on which Hrishita was travelling was hit by a bus, resulting in a severe collision. She was critically injured and later succumbed to her injuries.
Hrishita was in Delhi for her education and internship. She had completed her undergraduate studies at Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, and was pursuing higher studies through Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) while also doing an internship.
Speaking to NDTV, Hrishita's mother, Arati Baruah Lahon, said her daughter had found an advertisement for an internship and was selected after appearing for an interview.
"She used to commute every day from her flat in Delhi to Noida. Usually, she travelled by metro, but on that particular day, she had to take a Rapido. The incident happened just about five minutes away from where she lived," her mother said.
She said that she used to call her daughter every morning as part of her routine.
"Sometimes, if I called her repeatedly, she would tell me, 'Mom, why do you call so often? I'm busy at the office and also studying. Please just call once or twice.' She was a very honest girl and deeply respected her parents," Arati Baruah Lahon said.
Recalling the day of the accident, she said the family received a call from a woman who had found Hrishita's phone and informed them that she had been admitted to hospital.
"We were initially informed that she had sustained an injury to her leg. We immediately booked flight tickets and left for Delhi," she said.
The family later contacted Hrishita's roommate and friends, who reached the hospital and supported her during the treatment.
"The doctors did everything they could to save her. We were informed that she had suffered cardiac arrest multiple times," her mother said.
Describing her daughter, Arati said Hrishita was "honest, sensible and responsible" and cared deeply for her parents and brother.
"She would always remind us to take our medicines and eat on time. Even while living away from us, she looked after us so well. We learned a great deal from her," she said.
The family also appealed to the public and media to respect Hrishita's privacy and dignity.
"She had gone away to study and build a future for herself. She was a very shy girl who valued her privacy. Therefore, I do not want details of this incident to be circulated publicly in a manner that compromises her privacy or dignity," her mother said.
The family expressed gratitude to the people who helped Hrishita after the accident, including the woman who took her to hospital, as well as her friends and roommate.
"We will remain forever grateful to them," Arati said.
She also said the family did not harbour any ill will towards the Rapido driver, who was also injured in the accident.
"The Rapido driver was also injured, so we bear no ill will towards him either. We do not wish harm upon anyone. What happened is deeply tragic and unfortunate," she said.
The family said it only wanted the matter to be dealt with appropriately and appealed to people to remember Hrishita with dignity.
"We simply pray that God keeps everyone safe and that justice is served appropriately.
We appeal to everyone to bless our daughter during this difficult time and not to unnecessarily complicate the matter. We request everyone to respect her dignity and privacy," her mother said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
