The Gospel According to Abbey

Alok Agarwal, 

Cantor Fitzgerald

Approximately 650 Cantor Fitzgerald employees died on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 when hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 was used as a missile and was fired into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.  American 11 struck the North Tower at 8:46:40 AM Eastern time, a few floors below Cantor Fitzgerald's offices, which were located on Floor 101 through 105.  

Alok Agarwal, just thirty-seven years young, had emigrated to the United States from India in 1997.  Mr. Agarwal was a computer technician and when he first came to America, neither his wife, Shakali, nor his young son, Ankush, came with him.  Shafali followed a few months later - after he was settled and had started to earn an income.  Ankush, however, was not able to join his parents.  He was beset by health problems - such as a chronic fever and cough.  He remained behind in India, living with relatives.  

Mr. Agarwal was the sole breadwinner in his household, which meant that when Shafali made her annual trek home to India to see their little boy, Alok could not accompany her.  He could not travel back to India to spend time with Ankush. He was not able to take time off from his position as a Senior Programmer Analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald to join her.  He lamented to his wife just how hard it was on him during their time apart.  He missed her.

Roughly three weeks prior to Tuesday, September 11, 2001, he dropped Shafali off at the airport for what turned out to be the final time.  He never saw his wife - or his young son - again. 

Six days after Mr. Agarwal was among those killed at the World Trade Center, his widow, Shafali, returned to the United States.  She flew back here hoping against hope to find her husband.  She remained in the United States until January, 2002, at which time she returned to India without him.   

Not only was Alok Agarwal his wife's emotional tie to America, he was her legal tie too.  Shafali did not work in the United States.  After he died, her dependent visa was no longer valid. She and Ankush ultimately received short-term visitor's visas.  However, when they expired on November 20, 2002, the family's ability to remain here in America did too... 

...not quite the ending that Alok Agarwal had envisioned to his American dream.  

A testament, perhaps, to the inherent inequity of life.   

A lesson that the Agarwal family has learned in the hardest of all possible ways. 

-AK