More than 30 members of the family of deceased woman Michelle Anne Key were invited to Batra Fashion Villa in Papatoetoe on Wednesday, August 28, an evening for a blessing and prayer service in her memory.
Speaking to The Indian Weekender, owner of the store said that they had been planning to host a prayer service for the lady who died in the car accident in the early morning hours of Queen’s Birthday weekend.
“My wife Erica and father Tejinder Singh Batra had this in mind for a long time to hold a prayer service for the deceased Michelle Anne Key who was also known in the Indian community as she taught Zumba Dance in the South Auckland area,” owner of Batra retail stores, Sunny Batra said.
Through a common contact, Erica Batra and Tejinder Batra contacted the deceased Michelle’s husband who agreed to come to a prayer service with his family and whanau members on Wednesday.
“Michelle’s husband said that the family have been thinking of a blessing ceremony for their beloved at the place of the incident but were not sure how to approach us,” Erica Batra said.
On Wednesday evening, approximately 30 members from Michelle’s family, her mother who drove all the way from Coromandel, children and extended family members came to Batra Fashion Villa located on the intersection of Great South Road, Kolmar Road and Charles Street in Papatoetoe and prayed for peace of her soul.
Friends of the grieving family and some shop owners in the popular Papatoetoe suburb also joined the memorial ceremony.
The family sang songs for the mother-of-three, recollected their fond memories with her and sang praises for her, saying she was a very cheerful and helpful person.
Ms Batra said that this prayer service for the peace of the beloved soul brought the two communities and several families closer to one another.
“We are sad that something like this happened at our shop and one soul was lost in an accident at this very place –the family is grieving, especially her children,” Mr Batra added.
Late Michelle’s son brought a portrait of his mother and laid flowers next to her before singing and praying for her soul.
The accident occurred at 9:50 a.m. on Queen’s Birthday morning when Michelle’s red Nissan Tiida crashed from the front into the Batra Fashion Villa.
Police reviewed the CCTV footage later and said it appeared that Michelle suffered a heart attack before crashing.
“In the footage, you could see her kind of lying over onto the passenger's side,” Mr Batra said.
The incident occurred just days before the festival of Eid, the shops would be ideally crowded with customers, but since it was the early hours of the morning, the shop was about to be open in another 15-20 minutes.
“It was fortunate that no one else, shopkeepers or pedestrians, were injured as a result of this crash,” Mr Batra had then said.
Michelle Anne Key was known for her loving nature and dancing ability- she was a matriarch of her family and is survived by her husband and three children who conducted her last rites at her family place in Coromandel.
"She was an amazing person and dancer- she had earlier performed at Women Care Trust's Ladies Night event last year- an event for the Indian women held in South Auckland," Ms Sharon Harmer, close friend of Ms Key told The Indian Weekender.
Mr Batra and his family say that they plan to stay in touch with Michelle’s family and will always remember the beautiful soul.
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