In the early hours of a melancholic Monday, the city of Kolkata was struck by an incident so heart-wrenching that it paralyzed an entire community in shock and despair. Amid the muffled sobbing and tear-streaked faces, a tale of devastation unfolded, forever marring a day that was supposed to be one of joyous celebration.

The desolation centered around the Rathi family, whose lives were irreversibly shattered when a stolen bus, in a high-speed pursuit with the police and bus owners, careened into their car at the Lake Town traffic signal on VIP Road. The family was returning from the wedding of their daughter, Ayushi, celebrated at a venue in New Town. In an instant, the echoes of laughter and merry jingles of the wedding bells were replaced by screams and the shrill cry of sirens.

The cataclysmic impact reduced their once vibrant blue hatchback into a mass of twisted metal, snuffing out the lives of 54-year-old businessman Shiv Shankar Rathi, his 23-year-old son Srivatsa, and 73-year-old mother Kamala. The young driver, Ankit Kumar Mahato, miraculously survived, albeit with a broken neck.

In the driver's seat of the monstrous juggernaut was 40-year-old Hazibullah Molla. After stealing the bus, Molla's recklessness and disregard for human life had set the horrific events in motion. Even the sight of the crumpled vehicle in his wake failed to slow his frantic escape, and he continued at an alarming speed, eventually ramming a truck waiting at the Dakshindari traffic signal. The collision brought his rampage to a halt, and despite his futile attempts to flee, the traffic cops apprehended him.

The shattered remnants of the Rathi family were left grappling with the sudden, inconceivable loss. Sarala Rathi, 50, the wife and mother to the deceased, had narrowly missed being in the car herself. In an act of fate, she had been convinced to join other relatives in a different vehicle moments before departing the wedding venue. The only other survivor was the new bride, Ayushi, who was informed about the tragic incident still dressed in her wedding attire.

The heart-wrenching news plunged Ayushi and Sarala into a disoriented state of shock and grief. Their world came crashing down around them, and the joy of the wedding was swiftly replaced by a suffocating shroud of despair. In an instant, their lives were turned upside down, and the home that was filled with joy and laughter just hours before now echoed with cries of sorrow.

Ayushi, the 25-year-old bride, hadn't yet changed out of her wedding outfit when she received the devastating news. She and her mother, Sarala, were left in a state of shock and despair, losing consciousness intermittently due to the overwhelming grief.

The man behind the wheel of the stolen bus, Hazibullah Molla, was a former bus driver known for his rash driving and ill temper. His actions that night were the culmination of a series of bad decisions that started with him being fired a year prior due to allegations of stealing diesel. The theft of the bus from the terminus around 1.20 am on Monday was the culmination of a tragic chain of events.

The Rathi family, once prosperous owners of an electrical goods store named Shiva Electricals, now must grapple with an unfathomable loss. Shiv Shankar Rathi was known not just for his business acumen but also for his generosity, supporting many families in addition to his own. His loss, and the loss of Srivatsa and Kamala, has left a void in the community that can never be filled.

The grievous accident serves as a chilling reminder of the fragility of life, how one moment can forever change the course of many lives, and the severe consequences of reckless actions.