In a country where tragedy is often met with resilience, the past few weeks have felt different. A chilling honeymoon murder, a catastrophic plane crash, fatal metro construction accidents, and daily deaths on overcrowded trains, each devastating in its own right, have collided in the national psyche. Together, they’ve left Indians reeling from a deep and collective sense of unease.

What’s unfolding isn’t just grief. It’s dread. And it’s coming from a system that seems to be collapsing in slow motion.

Honeymoon Turns Into a Murder Plot

Long before the headlines exploded with visuals of wreckage and death, a quieter horror was unfolding in Meghalaya.In late May, newlyweds Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi from Madhya Pradesh arrived in the scenic northeast for their honeymoon. Just days later, Raja’s body was found in a gorge. His throat had been slit. The police allege that his wife, Sonam, orchestrated the murder with help from her lover and hired killers.

Worse still, this wasn’t impulsive—it was premeditated. According to investigators, the travel was booked with the intention to kill. It took four failed attempts before they succeeded.

The case sparked not only moral outrage but fear—how do you trust love if even marriage can be weaponized?

India’s Worst Air Crash in Years

On June 12, Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 en-route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel minutes after takeoff. It killed 241 of 242 people on board, along with at least 38 others on the ground.

It’s the worst air disaster India has witnessed in nearly three decades. And while investigations are ongoing, preliminary analysis suggests a catastrophic double-engine failure—possibly linked to electrical system malfunction. Experts pointed to video footage showing the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed mid-air, a backup mechanism only triggered during total power loss.

This was not an international flight from a troubled airline. It was Air India, on home soil, in broad daylight. That deepens the shock. Because if even the nation’s flag carrier can’t guarantee safety, what can?

Crushed by Infrastructure

Just days later, in Chennai, a metro construction girder fell on a passing motorcyclist in broad daylight, killing 30-year-old L. Giridharan. Onlookers say there were no visible safety nets or barriers, a grotesque failure of basic engineering safeguards.

While this specific incident took place years ago (2015), similar stories have continued to emerge in recent times, including deaths caused by girder transport mismanagement in cities like Mumbai. These incidents point to a persistent issue: India’s rapidly growing urban infrastructure often ignores safety in its hurry to deliver.

And Then, There’s the Local Train System

Mumbai’s local trains, used by over 7.5 million people daily, remain dangerous. No automatic doors, platforms that don’t align with train floors, and overcrowded compartments continue to result in death and injury. Just this week, several fatalities were reported due to falls from moving trains.

The railways have long cited capacity challenges, but commuters say it’s more than that. It’s neglect. “It’s like we’re forced to gamble with our lives just to get to work,” said one suburban rail user in an interview with a regional outlet.

The General Mood: “Something Feels Off”

What makes this situation feel heavier than others? It’s not just the frequency of disasters. It’s the proximity to daily life. A honeymoon—turned into a murder plot. A flagship airline flight—crashing within minutes. Urban development—killing pedestrians. Commuter trains—where death is routine.

These aren’t isolated or rare events. They’re threaded into the very systems Indians rely on daily: love, travel, work, safety. Social media is saturated with comments that echo this anxiety: “Every day it’s something new. You don’t even have time to grieve the last story,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter).

What We’re Really Feeling: Systemic Fragility

These tragedies highlight something bigger: India’s systems are strained. And when systems fray, so does trust.

Aviation: Are emergency protocols and maintenance inspections robust enough?
Policing: How does a murder plot slip through until it succeeds?
Urban planning: Why aren’t fatal construction accidents sparking immediate structural reform?
Rail transport: Why hasn’t the death toll sparked redesign?

A Call for Urgency, Not Normalisation

Tragedy doesn’t always come with warning signs. But when it keeps coming, and we start to accept it, we risk something far worse than fear: complacency.  There’s still time to act. To mourn what we’ve lost, but more importantly, to protect what’s left. Because what happened this past month wasn’t just a week of horrific events—it was a warning. And ignoring it may cost us more than we can afford.