Sent into the abyss: how a mother gave up her place to her son on the ‘cursed’ bathyscaphe stars of ‘Titanic’

Shahzada Davud, 48, a businessman and vice chairman of Engro Corporation, and his 19-year-old son Suleiman were among the passengers on the ill-fated submarine voyage and are now forever at the bottom of the ocean. But as it turned out, the young man was on board almost by accident – initially the seat was reserved for his mother Christina. Here is their family history.

Kristina and Shahzada met while studying at university and married in 2001. Christina was born in Germany and originally her goal was to become an engineer, but in 2019 the woman changed jobs. She and her husband were in a plane crash, after which she founded Next Step Now, a business consulting company.

Well, her Pakistani beau has built a successful business career over the years. During his lifetime, Shahzada Daoud worked for a wide range of organizations including the World Economic Forum, Engro Corporation and Dawood Hercules Corporation.

In addition to the son Suleiman, the couple had a daughter Alina. The children spent most of their childhood between Karachi, Pakistan and London. Christina and Shahzada’s daughter Alina graduated from the Faculty of English Literature. And the son was a student at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland, studying business. He and his father were very close and shared a love of exploration and adventure. The guy had another favorite hobby – the Rubik’s Cube. Suleiman managed to collect it in 12 seconds and dreamed of setting a record – collecting it in depth. That’s why he dreamed so much about accompanying his father on this expedition.

“He said, ‘I’m going to solve a Rubik’s cube 3,700 meters down on the Titanic. He was so excited about it,'” Christina said.

But when his parents booked the seats, and that was before the coronavirus pandemic, Suleiman was still a minor and could not take part in the risky trip. Shahzada and Christina were planned to be passengers on the bathyscaphe. But then there was a ban, the trip was postponed. When the bathyscaphe was finally able to take off, Suleiman had already met the age requirements. And the mother left her place to her son, she knew how he burned with this idea.

“I stepped back and gave Suleiman a place because he really wanted to go.” I was very happy for them, because they both dreamed about this for a really long time, “said the woman in an interview.

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Christina refused to comment to reporters on how she now relates to her crime. While a woman bravely experiences the loss with her daughter. She and 17-year-old Alina were aboard an escort ship when contact with the Titan crew was lost.

“At the time, I didn’t understand what it meant. Hopes were high and then everything went downhill,” she said.

At first, everyone thought the underwater vehicle would surface, but with each passing hour, a black wave of awareness enveloped the relatives.

“I think I lost hope when we crossed the 96 hour mark. I said to myself, “I’m preparing for the worst.” That’s when I lost hope,” Christina said.

In memory of her dead son, the woman now wants to learn how to solve the Rubik’s cube herself, as well as continue her husband’s work and develop his initiatives.

“I miss him. I really, really miss him,” Christina concluded.

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