Return of the native: Our Gulab’s journey home

Life is full of surprises. It was quite early that day when a phone ring abruptly broke the silence of the calm morning. “Gulab! It’s you!” my husband said unbelievably.

Gulab! It was March 1999 when two of our acquaintances in Patiala arrived with a boy in his early teens. Everything in his life seemed great – until that one terrible day when his world turned upside down. At a tender age, cheated by a man from his own village with a false promise, he landed up in Patiala where he was sold to a family. He was maltreated and starved by his master. Alien to the culture and with no memory of his hometown, he was left with no choice but to stay there for three years. The people who brought him to us helped him get rid of that place. He pleaded them to get him employed far from Patiala. That’s how we met Gulab.

He agreed to stay with us and was welcomed warmly in the family.

We tried to convince him to get admission in a school, but he refused as he hadn’t even got his primary education. He started accompanying my father-in-law to look after our ancestral property. As the years went by, he mingled well with our family. Our house address became familiar with the name of Gulab. My kids affectionately called him Gulab Chacha.

Though he looked happy, he always seemed perturbed over his past. One day, he opened up about some faded memories. His vague recollections of an animal fair held annually near his hometown and some landmarks were helpful during our online search. It took us a few days and voila! There it was, Balbal mela. He was sure his village was near it. Later, we came to know he belonged to Tilaiya village. His joy knew no bounds. A reservation for the train from Jalandhar to Patna was made. Finally, the day to say goodbye came. We all bid him farewell with a heavy heart.

He reached Patna safely and took a bus for Hazaribagh. As it was getting dark, he got confused to follow the right track leading to his village from Hazaribagh. We told him to take shelter in a nearby hotel.

The next day as the bus neared, several questions arose in his mind: Would his family still be there? Would they recognise him? He began to walk, following the dusty path etched in his brain from his childhood. His memory was guiding him home.

Accompanied by a villager, he quickly recognised his house. He burst into tears on catching a glimpse of his mother. He told his family who he was. Dumbfounded, they asked him to show a particular scar on his body. He complied. Their happiness knew no bounds. Their son was back.

For all these years, his parents had searched for him and lost hope. A reunion with their long-lost son was the last thing they expected. Gulab, too, was elated.

Since all his younger siblings had been married, a suitable match was found for him, too. He returned to Punjab after getting engaged to Geeta Devi and stayed with us for three months. Sadly, after his wedding, there was no communication from his side.

This phone call came as a big surprise because we had lost hope of ever reconnecting with him. He is now blessed with a baby girl, Kiran Kumari, and a baby boy, Kamlesh.

HE BEGAN TO WALK, FOLLOWING THE DUSTY PATH ETCHED IN HIS BRAIN FROM HIS CHILDHOOD. HIS MEMORY WAS GUIDING HIM HOME