Soro: A 36-year-old man, who went missing in 1995, reunited with his family at Sadhuapada village under Soro block in Balasore district leaving all villagers teary-eyed.
Satyananda Nayak’s family comprised five members – himself, his wife Basanti, two daughters and a son. His son, Satyananda, fondly called Sania, is the eldest.
Sania was 10 years old when he went missing from in front of his house where he was playing with his friends. Not finding him, the family members searched for him at all possible places but failed. The family did everything possible to trace Sania’s whereabouts. They visited temples and shrines and consulted fortune-tellers, but all in vain.
However, Basanti had not lost hope and her faith on God. She spent these 26 years praying for the safe return of her son.
Finally, her prayers were answered.
Some locals first spotted Sania roaming at Soro railway station November 14. They immediately informed this to Satyananda’s family. Without losing a moment, family members and relatives went to the railway station and brought him back to the village.
The subsequent series of scenes made everyone emotional. Seeing his mother after a long gap, Sania couldn’t help crying, resting his head in Basanti’s lap with the latter also sobbing.
Sania could recognise his childhood friends and asked about some others who were not in the village.
When asked what led to his missing, he said he mistakenly got onto a train at Soro railway station and found himself in Kolkata. From there, he went to Gujarat and then to Punjab. Before coming to Soro, he worked at a private company in Delhi. He said the love for birth place and the affection of family members and relatives brought him back to Sadhuapada village.