16-year-old shows compassion to aged stranger, reunites him with family

Bangalore Mirror

Bangalore: The last day in August was not an ’any given Sunday’ for Sudhir Magaji R. The day for the 16-year-old St Joseph’s College PU student began ordinarily enough with a jog at Lalbagh that began pre-dawn. Two of his cousins joined him in the run, but while a rare occurrence, it still didn’t make the day exceptional.

 

That incident came later in the evening when Sudhir used intuition and powers of observation to help reunite 95-year-old Shankar Prasad Mishra with his family. For an ardent fan of Sherlock Holmes and one who spends all his spare time playing detective games online, that alone was an unusual high. Knowing that he had helped a noble cause was the icing.

 

Mishra, fondly called Nanu by his family, had gone missing from his home in Bapusapalya near Kalyan Nagar on August 25. He had stepped out for a walk and had disappeared much to the anguish of his family. A search was mounted, but it bore little fruit as reported by Bangalore Mirror (Lost in the Twilight Years, August 31).

 

Although an avid Mirror reader, Sudhir was unaware of Nanu’s disappearance. He had left home at 5 am for his jog, well before a copy of the newspaper landed on his doorstep. With the jog done at around 8 am, he and his cousins headed off for breakfast. "We headed for Lalbagh West Gate while discussing breakfast plans," Sudhir told BM. "An elderly man stood near the gate and at first we didn’t pay him much attention. But we rushed to his help when we noticed that he was tottering and about to fall."

 

The man, Sudhir said, was so weak and frail that he could barely stand. He appeared like he had been starving. "We sat him down offered him a drink of water and made him comfortable. I tried questioning him on his identity, his address and his family thinking I could contact them and ask them to pick him up, but he wouldn’t talk. Just complete silence."

 

In an attempt to revive the man, Sudhir asked him if he would join them for breakfast. Still no answer. "I thought he was not interested in talking and wanted to be alone. We stayed with him for a bit all the while coaxing him to say something. But he didn’t utter a word." The boys then left.

 

Sudhir, who went on to meet with friends, returned home only in the evening and one of the first things he did was to snatch up the Bangalore Mirror. "I felt sad when I read the report on how the elderly were being treated in the city, but I was also a little relieved because I wasn’t one of those who ill-treated them. Then I read the story on Nanu and how he had gone missing. I wondered if the man my cousins and I had met at Lalbagh was Nanu. I wasn’t sure. I had my doubts. The report mentioned a Facebook campaign so I logged on and looked up the details."

Sudhir, whose father is a chartered accountant and mother a homemaker, still wasn’t convinced. How could a 95-year-old who went missing in Bapusapalya turn up at Lalbagh, about 12km away? The detective in him was intrigued. "I was determined to solve this puzzle," Sudhir said. "I posted a message on the FB page asking for details. I didn’t want to get the family’s hopes up. Only when I was absolutely sure I called one of the numbers listed in the report."

 

Sudhir happened to call Preethi Mishra’s, Shankar Prasad’s granddaughter who had been coordinating the search. "She was eager to know the details and I described to her the dress and features of the man whom we had helped at Lalbagh. I also told her that the man was very frail and in dire need of help."

 

Sudhir then spent a little more than an hour in tense anticipation. "I was breathless as I hoped and prayed that the elderly man would be reunited with his family." The call that left him immensely relieved came at around 8 pm. It was Preethi informing him that the man they had helped in the morning was indeed her Nanu. "I sent up a fervent prayer of thanks," Sudhir said. "I wish I had known the details earlier. I could have contacted the family in the morning itself. However, it was mission accomplished."

 

Sudhir was told how Preethi’s uncle and brother-in-law, with help of a Hoysala patrol vehicle, combed the West Gate area. They finally found Nanu huddled on a bench in the garden, trying to shield himself from the cold.

 

"We rushed him to M S Ramaiah Hospital, where he is now under observation in the Intensive Care Unit," Preethi told BM. "He was very weak and dehydrated, but recognised all the family members. Doctors say he is out of danger but needs to be observed for a few days. I cannot express how happy we are to be reunited with Nanu," said a relieved Preethi, who believes that getting her grandfather back is nothing short of a miracle. "It was Bangalore Mirror’s report, that helped reunite us."

 

The day, though, belonged to Sudhir. "I was quite elated when I learnt that Nanu was a freedom fighter. I had never met a freedom fighter, but have now. I’m lucky," the 16-year-old said.