The bodies of Merina, her four-year-old son Trishan Kumar, and her mother Madhur Massey arrived in Delhi on Saturday, after a tragic boat accident in Jabalpur.
Merina's husband Pradeep Kumar, who survived the Narmada Queen capsize, was overcome with grief as he reflected on the events leading up to the disaster.
Pradeep said he had taken his family to Jabalpur for a housewarming ceremony and a brief boat ride on Thursday evening, before heading home.
Merina had been looking forward to their 15th wedding anniversary on July 9, but tragically, she, her son, and her mother-in-law lost their lives in the accident.
At the cemetery in Dwarka Sector 18B, where the final rites were held, Pradeep gave a heart-wrenching account of the moments before the capsize.
As the storm hit and water entered the vessel, passengers scrambled for life-jackets stored on the lower deck, but unfortunately, not everyone was able to find one.
Merina tied Trishan to her own life-jacket, and the two were found together the following morning, still bound by it.
Merina's sister Treeza spoke about the phone call she received at 6.07pm on Thursday, in which Merina told her that the cruise was capsizing and they might not survive.
Treeza said she told Merina to keep praying and not lose hope, but unfortunately, the last words she heard were, 'We are dying.'
Madhur's body had been recovered on the night of the accident, while Merina and Trishan were found only the following morning.
Pradeep's father-in-law Julius, 67, also survived the tragedy, and he blamed those operating the boat for not taking the situation seriously.
