Sixteen Minutes from Home

It was the 2nd of February 2003. The headlines of newspapers across the world that day announced that the US space shuttle Columbia had exploded and disintegrated. After its 16-day journey, it was about to land on Earth. It was at a height of some 200,000 feet and was travelling towards the Earth at a speed of 19,000 kilometres per hour. It was just 16 minutes from landing when, suddenly, it lost contact with ground control and exploded. At that time, there were seven people on board, all of who died. This news was published in The Times of India (New Delhi) with the title “Just 16 minutes from home.”

When I read this news, I thought to myself that this is the very same end-result for everyone in this world. Every person nurses the hope of building an ideal home of his dreams here when suddenly death strikes him down. He is just ‘sixteen minutes from home’ when death arrives. And instead of entering the worldly home of his dreams, he is taken off to the court of the Hereafter.

Among the seven people aboard Columbia on its last journey was a woman of Indian origin, Kalpana Chawla. She was 41 years old. A great many people were awaiting her return. Friends and relatives had travelled to America so that they could congratulate her. If she had returned safely, she would have received a hero’s welcome. But death became a barrier, and a joyful story suddenly became a tearful tragedy.

This event was a personal experience for Kalpana Chawla, and for others a learning lesson. Wise is he who can see his own fate hidden in this event.