A cricket fan, celebrated 24th birthday four days earlier

That day Mehata had plans. He was returning home early to take part in a night Cricket match organised at his residential complex, Sundaram Co-operative Housing Society in Borivali. “He was a cricket fan and even fought with his boss to get here early,’’ says Jayesh Shroff (41), family friend and neighbour. However, the day’s play was abandoned as news of the blasts spread. Finally, friends and family rushed to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra, from where his body was recovered around 4 am.

Soon after graduating in commerce from SIWS College (Wadala), Jignesh wanted to start working. The idea was to contribute to the family. He had started as a relationship manager at sharekhan.com — an online share-trading portal—- where he would buy and sell on behalf of his clients.

“He was working out of Sion branch, prior to which he was with a sub-broker who has a Sharekhan franchise,’’ says Mehul Koradia, senior manager (business development), who hired him. “A very shy boy who didn’t talk much,’’ is how most colleagues remember him. But adds Koradia, “He was very interested in finance and secondary markets.”

Singh, who remembers they had both joined the office on the same day in October 2004, enjoyed their lunch hour feasts at Himalaya Restaurant. A Jain and a strict vegetarian, Singh recalls how Jignesh would relish the kulchas and bread savouries.

The Mehatas haven’t come to terms with the tragedy ye— father Bipin, who is into textiles, and brother Mitesh, a chartered accountant, keep busy with work, mother Jyotsana finds solace in prayer. Earlier, she would come out of the house for a stroll in the evenings. She hasn’t been seen outside her house since her younger son’s death.