Rajendra Pal on Wednesday. Picture by UB Photos

Rajendra Pal, 34, is under observation at the emergency ICU of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for suspected “smoke inhalation.” Pal, from Punjab, is among the six who survived the helicopter crash at Tawang on Tuesday. Battling pain in the right eye, he recalls for The Telegraph the fateful flight from Guwahati that left 17 of his co-passengers dead.

Many thoughts occupied my mind as I boarded the helicopter at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport yesterday. As I looked for my seat, I hoped that I didn’t end up sitting next to a chatterbox. The thoughts were mainly about the work at the office of Bhilwara Energy Limited in Tawang.

I was allotted a seat in the middle, which was a relief. I never liked sitting in front or in the last row. As I took my seat, I just prayed that I reach Tawang on time. The whirring sound of the rotor broke my reverie. It was 12.50pm. “Good, I think we are on time,” mumbled someone next to me. The same thought ran through my head as I smiled back in acknowledgement.

As the clock ticked, I knew it would not be long before we reach Tawang. The hour passed smoothly.

Then there was a deafening sound. We were engulfed in a pall of dark smoke. I was choking, every breath felt like the last one. Should I shout for help, my mind panicked, but I could not find any voice.

What? What? What? These were the only words that raced through my mind. I could not see anything. Too much smoke and a burning smell. Was I conscious? It was a nightmare and I was living it. I remember someone taking me out of that smoke-filled hell.

Today there was another chopper ride. I was being taken to the GMCH for medical care. Was I scared? It’s so difficult to find a word to say how I felt. Some said I am in a post-accident trauma. My right eye hurts like anything. The doctor said everything would be fine.

As I lie in the ICU today, I think of my son. I remember my wife. But with these memories there creeps in the recollection of a deafening sound, a smell of death and the sound of chopper blades.