’How does God decide who lives and who dies?’

Musician Aadesh Shrivastava has vowed to look after his dead brother Chitresh's family

'How does God decide who lives and who dies?'

Musician Aadesh Shrivastava has vowed to look after his dead brother Chitresh's family

The car crash that killed composer Aadesh Shrivastava's brother Chitresh could have also ended Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's life.
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Minutes before the crash, the Pakistani singer got out of the car and decided to join his musical troupe in a bus that accompanied their car.

"What do we say to this? How does God decide who lives and who dies? Is there any law governing our existence any more?" Aadesh says inconsolably.

Aadesh who has just survived cancer, lost his brother on Saturday to a freak accident in the US. He has now vowed to raise his brother's children as his own.

Made a stop
Says Aadesh, "My brother who was Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's business manager in India was driving from Detroit to Chicago after a concert. Rahat, Chitresh and three others were in the car.

The rest of the troupe was in a bus. They all stopped at a petrol station to freshen up and after that Rahat announced he'd get into the bus with the rest of the troupe. My brother and two others drove off in the car.

Chitresh

It skidded and spun around about eight times. During the spins the door of the car opened and my brother fell out. He died instantaneously."

Aadesh breaks down recollecting the nightmare. "My brother had to go. Rahat escaped. Do you know Chitresh had been under so much pressure from the time Rahat was discovered with unaccounted dollars on the Delhi airport? What wrong had Chitresh done?
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He has never cheated. As a show organiser his dealings were always above-board and legal. The Indian government hounded him because they couldn't touch Rahat.
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They had to send Rahat back to Pakistan. So my brother became the scapegoat. Do you know, Dada (Chitresh) offered to return all the money? Rahat called me up to express his hurt. 'Look at him.

He's offering me money when he's more than a brother to me,' Rahat complained about my brother to me. Rahat really cared for my brother. Now Dada is gone."

Last concert
Chitresh planned to give up looking after Rahat's work. Reveals Aadesh, "The concert in the US was meant to be my brother's last with Rahat. He had decided to give up his ties with Rahat.

I think Dada had a premonition. Before going to the US he had done the family'su00a0 insurance for the first time. Twice I told him to cancel his trip.
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But I guess he had to go...Why him? What wrong has he done in life? People like Karunanidhi and his family are walking free while my brother was hounded by the government for no fault of his.

A Sharad Pawar has survived two helicopter crashes!! Why does a good man have to go? Why my brother?"

Now Aadesh intends to look after Chitresh's family, just as he has been looking after his wife Vijayta's sister Sulakshana Pandit.

Says Aadesh, "I now feel I've been given a new life after cancer only so I can look after my family.
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I am going to make all of my brother's dreams for his two children come true. My mother is not with us to see my brother go like this. But my old father is shattered.

And Bhabhi(Chitresh's wife) is inconsolable. We are all here waiting for Chitresh's brother-in-law to return with his body."

On Sunday evening as the news spread Aadesh's house was filled with denizens from the music and entertainment world. "Amitji was here the whole evening. He told me it is very important to look after my health. I can't afford a relapse."

Shattered and inconsolable Aadesh spoke at the sheer injustice of it. "What wrong have we done to suffer like this? Our misfortune started with Chitresh's troubles over Rahat.
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Then I fell ill. Now ufffd this. It's like God has chosen our family for a special endurance test."