In a heart-touching story of re-union of a widow with her family after 70 years, 87-year-old Kanaklata met her her sister’s son and his family recently in Vridavan.
Kanaklata Adhikary was 11 when she got married and became a widow six years later. She left for Vrindavan soon after. Dwelt on the plight of Kanaklata and widows like her, Samar Adhikary, in his 60s, saw his mother’s sister.
Memories drawn from occasionally picking up that one photograph flooded back. All he had was a photograph of his “boroma” (elder aunt) and the knowledge that she had left for Vrindavan a long time ago.
The resemblance between the two sisters and between the photographs was unmistakable. Her younger sister Anjali — Samar’s mother — passed away a month-and-a-half ago.
Soon after he saw the report, Samar, of Ahiritolla in north Kolkata, gathered his children, brother Subhash and rushed to Binani Bhavan where Kanaklata was staying along with 49 other widows, all of whom had arrived here for the Puja with NGO Sulabh International’s help.
While Samar knew whom he was meeting, Kanaklata could only stare and ask: (Who are you, dear?). When Samar introduced himself, Kanaklata’s eyes brightened. He called in other members of the family and slowly, the reunion — 70 years in making — began to sink in.
“I cannot express the joy I felt on seeing her,” Samar’s brother Subhash said.
In a heart-touching story of re-union of a widow with her family after 70 years, 87-year-old Kanaklata met her sister’s son and his family recently in Vridavan.
