In June 2013, Vijaykanth and Leela travelled on a pilgrimage from Alwar, Rajasthan, to the mountain state of Uttarakhand. We all know how that June witnessed the most devastating floods. In the same disaster, Leela went missing. For the next year and a half, Vijaykanth searched for her in Uttarakhand and didn’t give up even after she was officially declared dead and his family had received the compensation for her death.
Away from his five children, Vijaykanth went from village to village, with only a photo of Leela for company, asking everyone if they had seen someone who looked like her. In January 2015, 19 months after they were separated, Vijaykanth found his wife, whom some residents had seen wandering around Gongoli village. Sadly, she was so traumatised that she didn’t recognise him, but he brought her home. Thankfully, she is getting better with her family and children by her side.
