KALPETTA: “Mom, you don’t have to struggle anymore. I will take care of my younger brother and the household.”
For Saritha, her daughter Devika’s promise to pull the family out of poverty was reassuring. The 21-year-old was due to leave for the Gulf in two months, and the family had pinned all its hopes on the youngster who had worked hard to build a better future for them. But Devika returned home on Sunday night wrapped in white sheets, leaving behind loved ones struggling to come to terms with the loss.
Hailing from Thekkumthara, Wayanad, Devika was killed when a car rammed the scooter she was travelling on with her friends near Nedumbassery in the early hours of Sunday. For Saritha and her husband Santhosh, Devika’s death is not just the loss of a daughter but the collapse of the only hope they had of escaping financial hardship.
The family sold their only piece of land and moved to a smaller house to finance Devika’s education, making sacrifices to ensure she builds a life beyond their circumstances.
“Devika was the family’s only hope. She was a bright student, which is why we sold our land and moved into this house. She was supposed to leave for the Gulf in a couple of months,” said her uncle, Sandeep.
The family’s poverty was laid bare when Devika’s body was brought home on Sunday night. After people paying their last respects struggled to enter the crammed space, her mortal remains were moved to the family’s ancestral home.
Overcome with grief, Saritha struggled to speak about the daughter who had promised to take care of her and her younger brother. “The light has gone out of our lives. Who is left to support us now? I pray that no one else is ever forced to endure such a fate,” she said.
The family demanded stringent action against the accused. Sandeep said all three victims were from very poor families and had taken up part-time jobs to support their education.