New Delhi: Ravi Prakash Verma, a 25-year-old aspiring doctor who had completed his MBBS in Kyrgyzstan, was counting down the days to a long-awaited reunion with his father after ten months apart. He had spent two years in Delhi preparing tirelessly for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) scheduled for June 28.
Back in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, his father, Ram, a local school owner, was planning his journey to Delhi to support his son during this milestone. That moment never came. Ravi died in a building collapse in Delhi on Saturday, just days before the exam.
Father's Grief
Sitting outside the AIIMS Trauma Centre on Sunday, Ram recounted how the two had remained connected through regular phone calls despite the distance. Ever since Ravi left home to prepare for NEET in Kota and later for his MBBS abroad, they spoke often about his studies and dreams of becoming a doctor.
"We would speak regularly, but we were unable to speak on Saturday. I would have never thought that was my last chance to speak to my son," Ram said, his voice breaking.
The Tragic Incident
The eldest of five siblings, Ravi carried the hopes of his family. His mother is a homemaker, and his younger siblings are still studying. Relatives said he worked tirelessly toward his goal of clearing the FMGE and pursuing an MD in Pediatrics. His younger siblings looked up to him as a role model.
"He had taken a break while studying and gone to drink tea in the mess. His body was found standing as it was in the kitchen, covered in debris," the father said. Ravi died of suffocation. "He was still breathing when they found him, but he died a few minutes later," Ram added, recounting how the last sliver of hope vanished.
Ram received a call from Ravi's friends around 8 pm after they were unable to reach him and feared he was trapped inside the collapsed structure. The family began making frantic calls, desperately seeking information. By the time Ram reached Delhi, hope had turned into grief.
A Dream Cut Short
The father, who had been preparing to travel to Delhi to encourage Ravi before one of the most important examinations of his life, is now making arrangements to take his son's body home in an ambulance. "He wanted to become a pediatrician. He used to say he wanted to serve children and make us proud," a relative said.
The collapse has left the family shattered, with dreams of a bright future now replaced by sorrow. The incident highlights the dangers faced by students living in poorly constructed buildings in the city.
