Mother went shopping but did not comeback, after 14 years the family came to know the reason behind this…
It was sunny and hot in Mumbai. Anjali, 42, told her husband and two children that she was going to Crawford Market to buy some clothes and essentials.
She was very keen on of sewing, and had engaged her youngest daughter that she would sew a new dress for her to wear on Diwali. No one predicted that this would be the last time they would observe her.
That day her husband Ramesh was at home fixing the wooden door while the two children were doing their homework. Time passed, it began getting dark, but Anjali had still not returned. At first he thought his wife must have gone to meet friends and was busy chatting. But about 9 p.m., he began to feel uneasy; he called some familiar stalls in the market, but no one had seen her.
The next morning, the family officially described her missing. The ward police recovered her, questioned her and took notes. They thought Anjali might have gone off with friends, or she might have gotten tired of her family.
But Mr Ramesh said: “My wife was never like this, she loved her husband and children very much and led a very accountable life.”
In the days to come, the family ran everywhere: the hospital, the railway station, the bus station, even asked the street vendors around the market. Some witnesses claimed to have seen her go out of the market, looking average and holding a little bag of food. After that, nobody knew.
Both children screamed every night. The youngest daughter sat hugging the frame of dabbling clothes left by her mother, tears flowing down her face. Suddenly, it was as if her soul had been lost in that cozy home.
14 years of waiting
Time passed. At first the whole family was hoping to find him after a few days. Then that hope transfered into a few months, a few years. Slowly the news became less constant. Life took them away, but the emptiness never diminished.
Finally, 14 years after her disappearance, an unpredicted event turns everything upside-down.
Rahul, the eldest son who now works for a transportation company, was sent to a warehouse in Pune to check the paperwork. In a pile of old files, he unexpectedly noticed a familiar name: “Anjali Devi – Temporary Residence Permit in Labour Hostel 2011.” Rahul’s heart stopped.
He returned the certificate to his father. Mr Ramesh clutched it in his shaky hands, thrilled and concerned at the same time. At least his wife was still alive someplace. But, why didn’t he contact his family?
A new clue
The father and son went to the address given on the temporary residence permit. It was an old hostel, now blasted. The old landlord said:
— “Oh, I remember a woman named Anjali used to live here. She did sewing work, but she often had headaches and walked slowly. One day someone took her to the hospital, and I never saw her again.”
That clue began a new journey of discovery.
After a lot of searching, they finally found a mental hospital on the outskirts of Thane. When Mr. Ramesh took his wife’s name, the nurse took him to a small room.
Reunion after 14 years
In the room, a slender woman with short, confused hair and faraway eyes was watching out the window. When she heard a strangled voice: “Anjali!”, she was stunned. Her eyes were cluttered for a moment, then filled with tears:
— “Ramesh?”
Mr Ramesh collapsed, tears pouring down his face. It was his wife. After 14 years, they finally met again.
Doctors said: More than ten years ago, Anjali was diseased with temporary amnesia after a mild str0ke. Since she couldn’t remember her hometown, no one came to pick her up, so she was kept in the hospital. Several years later, she dealt with depression and mild schizophrenia, living in her own world, with no contact with the outside world.
The whole family was surprised. They couldn’t believe that just because of a minor str0ke and lack of information, they had been disconnected for 14 years.
Belated happiness
In the days that followed, Mr. Ramesh and his two children would visit her alternately, conversing and giving her old stories to refresh her memory. Sometimes she would recall something: the unstitched clothing for her daughter, the squeaking of the door in Lucknow. Her focus would occasionally wander, and she would sit silently.
However, the family realized they had reunited with their loved one. After all those years of misery, there was finally some happiness.
Rahul embraced his father warmly and whispered:
“At least, I got you. Nothing surprises me anymore.”
The youngest daughter, now 20, clutched her mother’s hand while crying and laughing:
“Mom, I have been waiting for you for a long time.”
That story left a mark on the family’s emotions, both sad and hopeful. It reminded them that no matter what happens in life, family love is the most powerful link that will never break.
