Mangalore: Happy Reunion - Girl Back with Father After 16 Years

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Apr 22: Miracles do happen, all one needs to do is wait patiently. That's what Savita, a 22-year-old girl did. And a miracle it was that reunited her with her father after 16 long years.

Savita's story begins with a tragedy. At the tender age of one-and-a-half years she lost her mother. The family was struggling with acute poverty, and her father Sagaya remarried and had three children. Hailing from Terikere in Chikmagalur district, Savita was forced to give up her studies after third standard and worked with her father at Water Fall estate.

Karunakar of Water Fall estate, who sensed their poverty took Savita to the house of an aquaintance in Udupi. Then on, Savita was employed as maid in the house of Sridhar of Hejamady.

Savita with her father and uncle

She was about seven years when she worked as a servant. Her childhood was not like other children. She yearned to go to school, play and enjoy like other kids of her age, but all she experienced was torture in the hands of her employer. She was beaten now and then. She was not given her salary, and was told by Karunakar that it was being sent to her father. But on another occasio when she enquired about her father, she was told that he had died! A shocked and depressed Savita nevertheless continued as a maid in the same house.

She tolerated the torture of her employers with patience. There was no way she could escape and return to her hometown. For 12 long years, she continued to suffer, with no hopes of seeing her father nor escaping into freedom.

But there is a limit for human suffering, and when Savita could take it no longer, she looked for help through a friend from Terikere who had settled in Mangalore. She was told that an acquaintance by name Praveenkumar of Falnir was looking for a maid servant, and Savita, without informing her Udupi employers, came down to Mangalore. But Sridhar follower her, and on learning that she was in a car with Praveenkumar, lodged a complaint of kidnapping with the police.

When the police questioned Praveekumar and Savita, the latter said that she was not kidnapped but had come on her own terms to work at Praveenkumar's house. Based on her statement, the police let them go and shut the case.

She worked at her new employer's house for three-and-a-half years, and then decided to go elsewhere. Praveenkumar handed her over to protection of the police, who in turn took her to Prajna Counselling Center, Kankanady. That was more than a year back.

Reunion with Father

Her reunion with her lost father is a story in itself. And the one who made the reunion possible was William, a bus conductor.

On April 11, she was travelling by bus from Mangaladevi to Kankanady. William, who works in the same bus, chanced upon her and it flashed to him that her face seemed familiar. He knew of a girl from his hometown Terikere who had left for Mangalore 16 years ago. On questioning Savita, his doubt was confirmed and he was sure it was the same girl.

William then got in touch with Savita's father Sagaya, who he knew was still in search of his daughter. The father along with a relative came down to Mangalore immediately and visited Prajna Counselling Center. He requested the Centre to let Savita go with him back to Terikere. The Centre got in touch with the child and women welfare department in Chikmagalur, and on confirming the details regarding Savita's parents and hometown, consented to the father's plea.

"As soon as we saw her, we knew it was the girl we were looking for," said William, adding, "I remembered seeing her as a child. I was their neighbour in Terikere, and knew of their condition. As soon as I got to know about Savita in the bus, I contacted her father back home,."

The reunion between father and daughter was an emotional one. Neither had any hopes of seeing each other, though they had not stopped searching.

"I have found my daughter after so many years of waiting. I will look after her well, and will never let her go again," said Sagaya.

A happy and excited Savita said, "I have not thought about my future yet. Right now, all I want to do is go back to my place with my father. I will cherish this moment, and will think of the future later."