A major fire broke out at a three-storey commercial building housing an animation centre in the Aliganj area of Lucknow on Monday afternoon, killing at least 15 people, most of them students, and injuring nine others. According to officials, many victims were trapped on the second floor while attending classes at the centre.
Among those killed were 27-year-old Neelesh Kumar and 30-year-old Anamika Samant, whose relationship had blossomed after they met while working at the animation centre. Their friendship gradually turned into a relationship, and both families had approved their marriage plans.
Only last week, Anamika's parents had travelled from West Bengal to Lucknow to meet Neelesh and his family as preparations for the wedding gathered pace. A small family ceremony was also held at Neelesh's residence.
Speaking outside the post-mortem facility, Neelesh's brother Abhishek recalled meeting Anamika and described her as a cheerful person.
The families had already begun making arrangements for the next stage of the marriage preparations. Neelesh's relatives had booked train tickets to travel to West Bengal next week to meet Anamika's family.
"The train tickets were booked, and preparations were underway for the journey," Abhishek said.
The loss has left Neelesh's family devastated, particularly because he had spent years planning the life he hoped to build after marriage. The second of three siblings, he was known among relatives as a hardworking and dedicated professional whose life revolved around his work.
Family members said Neelesh was expecting a promotion and salary increase this year and wanted to improve his financial position before settling down.
"We wanted to solemnise the marriage this year itself, but he said he would get married next year. He was excited about the expected salary increase and promotion," a family member said.
According to relatives, Neelesh had been saving money for the wedding while also contributing to the construction of a new family house.
"Neelesh told us that he would get married in the new house once it was completed next year," said his relative Samrendra.
Instead of preparing for wedding celebrations, the family is now waiting outside the post-mortem facility to claim his body.
The tragedy has become even more painful for Anamika's family. Her 27-year-old cousin, Somilya, who also worked at the animation centre, was among those killed in the fire.
Just hours before the blaze, family members had been discussing travel plans, wedding dates and the beginning of a new chapter. By evening, those conversations had been replaced by frantic telephone calls, visits to hospitals and the difficult task of identifying the deceased.
For the two families, a journey that was meant to culminate in marriage ended instead at a post-mortem facility, making the Lucknow fire one of the most heartbreaking tragedies to emerge from the disaster. The incident not only claimed lives but also shattered dreams, leaving grieving families to confront a future forever altered by loss.
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