Tragedy struck moments before Yunus fulfilled his dream of owning a business

3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jul 6, 2026 03:23 PM IST

After saving money and making the necessary arrangements, the family leased a shop in Kurla’s Naupada on July 1. (Express photo)

On Sunday morning, at around 10 am, Yunus Kundawala left his residence in Bharat Nagar, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), for the inauguration of his family’s new shop in Kurla’s Naupada. The shop had been taken on lease by his sons — Burhan (26) and Mustafa (24), marking the beginning of what the family hoped would be a new chapter in their lives.

Despite heavy rain and gusty winds, Yunus stepped out with excitement. Owning a business had been his lifelong dream.

Moments after getting off his two-wheeler outside the premises, a large branch of a nearby Saptaparni (Alstonia scholaris) tree snapped and came crashing down on him. Passers-by and local residents pulled him out from beneath the fallen branches and took him to the nearby Fauzia Hospital. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Yunus is survived by his wife Zehra and their two sons. His sudden death has left the Kundawala family devastated, turning what was meant to be a day of celebration into one of unimaginable grief.

“Throughout his life, Yunus worked at various hardware and scrap shops across the city. He spent years helping others build their businesses, but his only dream was to one day have a shop of his own — a place where he could sit at his own desk and run his own business,” Akbar Fida Hussain Rangwalla (66), Yunus’s cousin, told The Indian Express.

The Kundawala family lived in a modest one-bedroom apartment in Bharat Nagar. The family’s sole breadwinner, Yunus used to earn between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 a month. Those close to the family said that though they constantly struggled financially, the household remained close-knit and optimistic.

Burhan and Mustafa completed their graduation two years ago and chose to work alongside their father, learning the intricacies of hardware and scrap business. Over the past two years, the brothers have been assisting Yunus and gradually preparing to venture into business independently.

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After saving money and making the necessary arrangements, the family leased a shop in Kurla’s Naupada on July 1. The locality is known as a hub for small traders dealing in metal scrap and hardware, making it an ideal place to begin their venture. Sunday was meant to be the first day of operations, beginning with the traditional inauguration ceremony before opening the shutters for business.

“Yunus was extremely happy when we last spoke to him. He told us that for the first time in his life, he would have his own table and chair in his own shop,” Rangwalla recalled.

Family members said Yunus believed that financial independence came from creating something of one’s own and wanted his children to carry that vision forward.

“Yunus had seen extreme poverty while growing up. Starting his own shop was the dream he had carried for decades,” said Shoaib Khan, a close friend and former co-worker. “He had already prepared a list of customers, spoken to suppliers, and started putting everything in place. Sadly, he never got the chance to live that dream.”

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India.

Expertise & Authority

Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai.

Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in:

Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting.

City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region.

Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis:

National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.

State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019.

Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis.

Experience

Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies:

Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014).

Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express.

Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More

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