#StoriesFromTheField – A Happy Ending With A Mother-Son Reunion In Muzaffarpur

Rescuing hunger-stricken Raja from Darbhanga railway station

On a September afternoon, one of our team members spotted a harrowed 14-year-old Raja (name changed) at the Darbhanga railway station, Bihar. He was restless and hungry but when our team tried approaching him to offer assistance, he fled from them. Our team soon managed to find him and introduce themselves, so he could feel at ease. Knowing that our team was there to help him, he immediately asked for food since he had been starving for a long time. Once we provided him with food and other essentials, he felt more at ease and willing to share his background information with us.

Raja shared that he belonged to Muzaffarpur and that he had lost his way here in Darbhanga. Our team enquired as to how he had reached Drabhanga. He shared that five days ago, frustrated with his father’s incessant violence, he decided to leave his home and live on his own. He also shared that he faced immense struggle to find food during these days.

His abusive father forced Raja to take this step

Once we had some of his basic information in place, we proceeded with a counselling session with Raja. During the session, he explained his father’s behaviour more deeply. He shared that his father would regularly come home drunk, fight with him, and beat him up. Exhausted with this routine suffering, he had lost his patience and decided to leave his home for better. He left his home, and reached Muzaffarpur railway station with the intention of boarding a train to some place distant. However, after reaching Muzaffarpur railway station, he stayed there for four days. During those days, he somehow managed to scrape some food. Then on the 28^th of September, the day we rescued him from Drabhanga station, he met with a few of his friends at the Muzaffarpur railway station. All of them decided to travel to Darbhanga in search of a job. They hopped on a bus to Darbhanga, but on his way there, he fell asleep in the bus. While he was asleep, his friends got off the bus, leaving Raja alone.
Raja woke up when the bus reached Darbhanga bus stand. He was surprised and scared to find himself alone in the bus. Somehow, after inquiring with some people, he managed to reach Darbhanga railway station, where he intended to take a train back to Muzaffarpur. He boarded a train back to his hometown and reached Darbhanga railway station, which is when one of our team members spotted him.

A mother-son reunion set in motion

Towards the end of the counselling session, Raja shared his wish of going back home. Our team then set in motion to get Raja back at his home. Our team tracked the PRI’s contact information based on the address given by Raja. We got in touch with Raja’s parents. After knowing the whereabouts of their child, his parents were overwhelmed and expressed their relief and gratitude emotionally. They came over immediately to take Raj home. His mother couldn’t stop her tears after seeing her son safe and sound. His father was also very thankful to our team for finding his son. Following all the legal procedures, with the help of the Government Railway Police, Raja was finally handed over to his parents.

During a recent follow-up, the team found that Raja was living happily with his family.