Tihidi: In a cathartic scene straight out of a Hindi flick, Apurba Ranjan Nayak – who had gone missing for 40 years now – came back home at a time when nearly everyone had given up on him. Kuanrachatar villagers under Gobindapur panchayat of Tihidi police limits in Bhadrak district were cock-a-hoop Thursday evening when they had their own lad amongst them after four long decades.
For 60-year-old Apurba, the feeling was no different either. His eyes welled up when fellow villagers gave him a hug welcoming his home coming. In a moment, he burst into tears after not finding many known faces, including his father’s in the gathering. He was told many have passed away while he was far from home.
Apurba was only 20 years old when he left home out of the blue and went incommunicado. Despite a frantic search by his family members at every possible place including their relatives’ houses, he remained untraceable.
One day, his family members learnt that their missing boy was selling fruits in Cuttack. They went to the city and searched for him, but in vain. Seven to eight years later, a word went around in the village that Apurba had left Cuttack for Uttar Pradesh, putting an end to his family’s little hope of getting him back.
Two days ago, Apurba had come to Rourkela. He was unable to check into a hotel since he didn’t have an identity proof. As luck would have it, he hired an auto rickshaw to go to a place, and the man on the driver’s seat was none other than someone who had married in Kuanrachatar village. He informed his family members about the incident.
Wednesday Apurba’s family members reached Rourkela and brought him back home. Seeing his family members, Apurba – still a bachelor — started sobbing uncontrollably, quite like a child.
Expressing his wish to spend the last part of his life at his birth place, he returned to his village Thursday night. As the news of his home coming spread, elders and young, down to children came together to see him. Elders were agog to see how their twenty years old lad was looking. And, he was given a hearty welcome.
Apurba says he used to work at hotels and studios in Uttar Pradesh. “Even though I used to visit Odisha once or twice a year, I could not return to my village. On returning, I am very happy to see my near and dear ones. At the same time, it pains me to learn of my father’s demise,” said the man in a choking voice.
That said, he was tightlipped when probed about what prompted him to leave home and why he had not returned.
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