PATHANAMTHITTA: When his mobile phone rings, 64-year-old Surendran’s mind goes into a prayer: “Let there be no bad news.”
Surendran and other family members — of V V Villa in Pazhakulam, Adoor — believe that Vivek, 32, would soon return home smiling and make them happy.
Son of Surendran K and Jayashree, Vivek was working as a safety officer in the barge that sank around 70km off the Mumbai coast on May 17 after getting caught in Cyclone Tauktae.
Vivek has since been missing.
“I’m unable to close my eyes after learning about the incident. My mind keeps wandering in the sea with my son’s face in front of me. I can’t think of anything else. I don’t even know how to share the feelings of a father whose son is missing. I only want to see my son somehow and all of us believe strongly that he would soon come back to us,” Surendran said.
Vivek’s family has not received any information about him after the mishap.
“Just two days were left for his duty to end and he told us that he would arrive from Mumbai by bus on May 28. So, we have arranged a quarantine room in our house for him.
“All of us, including his wife and a four-and-a-half-year-old child, were happily waiting for him,” his father said. He said Vivek’s twin brother, Vishal, who is working in the UAE, reached Mumbai on Saturday to know his whereabouts.“We are waiting for his call,” said Surendran.
Vivek had last called them on May 16, he said. Surendran has written to State Police Chief Loknath Behera seeking immediate intervention to help find Vivek.