Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 : The Air India Express cabin crew strike last week has left a young woman called Amritha in tears forever, as she failed to be by her ailing husband's side in his final moments in Muscat.

Amritha's family has decided to take legal steps against the airline.

Amritha, who was seen wailing on May 8 when she and her mother reached the airport in Kerala's capital to fly to Muscat, was told that due to the strike of Air India Express cabin crew, flights have been cancelled.

She then broke into tears and said that her young husband has suffered a cardiac arrest in Muscat and she had to urgently be with him, but the airport authorities said they were helpless.

Her repeated attempts to fly to Muscat failed, and breaking into tears at her home in Thiruvananthapuram, she has now turned silent after being told her husband has passed away.

Her husband, 39-year-old N. Rajesh, was working in the administration department of a school in Muscat. On May 7, he suffered a cardiac arrest and was hospitalised there.

Amritha's mother, on Tuesday, said: "We did our best to be with him."

'All our attempts to reach Muscat failed due to the flash strike of the staff of the airline. We decided to go immediately as after he suffered the cardiac arrest, he told bystanders that he wished to see his wife. We knocked on all the doors at the airport but nothing happened,' said Amritha's mother, unable to control her tears.

Meanwhile, the family of Rajesh has decided to sue the airline for the flash strike.

'The airline has to give us an answer. Had his wife reached there, his life could have been saved. We want an answer,' said his mother.

Amritha has two young kids. Rajesh's body is expected to arrive later in the day.

/IANS