Jaipur: What began as a joyful getaway after Eid turned into a memory too painful to forget. Shahrukh, one of the three survivors of the Tonk river tragedy, said he would carry the nightmare of that picnic for the rest of his life—a day when he watched eight of his friends and relatives drown in front of him.He said it was supposed to be a fresh start after Eid, a chance to unwind. Shahrukh, a resident of Ghatgate, who spoke to TOI over the phone on Tuesday, said, “Instead, it became a scar I’ll never heal from.”The group of 11 set out from Jaipur in a large SUV in the early hours of Tuesday. The initial plan, Shahrukh said, was to travel only as far as Chaksu. “We stopped near Chaksu, unloaded our supplies, and began preparing to cook a meal. But one of us suggested we should go swim in the Banas River nearby,” he recalled.Despite some hesitation, the entire group agreed and headed towards the river in Tonk. Shahrukh stayed back with Salman and Sameer at a nearby shrine to cook the meal. The others, including friends, walked down to the river for a swim. Minutes later, panic set in.“We suddenly heard loud cries for help. People were drowning,” Shahrukh said, his voice trembling. “We ran towards the river. Some of us tried to pull them out, but the water was just too deep. One by one, they disappeared beneath the surface.”In a matter of moments, eight lives were lost. “I can’t forget the helplessness of that moment,” Shahrukh said. “We tried everything, but nothing worked. It was like the river just swallowed them.”
