At home, Kalpana Chawla's brother Sanjay is too numb to cry.

He has taken shelter in disbelief, family friends said, in the hope that what he has heard is not true, that his kid sister has somehow survived the explosion.

In the ground floor flat at the Asiad Village in south Delhi, the phones are continuously ringing, the television tuned to CNN. And Sanjay Chawla sits, as if cast in stone, unresponsive to questions.

He is said to have been the man behind Kalpana the astronaut, the person on whom she relied a lot, the one who inspired her to become a pilot.

Chawla's parents are not here. They are in the United States. NASA had invited them over to watch their daughter making her second journey into space.

"We are in a moment of grief," a family friend said. "We hope what we heard is not true."

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What do you think about the story? Read what others have to say: Number of User Comments: 153 Sub: Staggering Woman Kalpana Chawla It is very sad to hear the news in the early days of new year.KALPANA CHAWLA is a Paradigmatic to those who want to achieve ... Posted by Mani Chandana Sub: Kalpana Chawla can be looked upon as an epitome of selfless service.She'd done India a proud and on behalf of all Indians I salute to ... Posted by Nidhi Saxena Sub: Kalpana Chawla can be looked upon as an epitome of selfless service.She'd done India a proud and on behalf of all Indians I salute to ... Posted by Nidhi Saxena Sub: Great loss to india and america Kalpana's death was one of the saddest moments in the history of india.She was the Pride of the country. May her soul rest in peace Posted by kishore Sub: kalpana chawala I am very sorry to hear this. She has become a part of my heart. She was very brave. Just think that before she died ... Posted by priyanka