ONGOLE: One never knows when death will come calling on oneself or one’s near and dear ones. This is exactly what happened in the case of G Vijaya Kumar, whose son G Sailendra Harsha (24), died in a car crash in Beaumont in Texas, US, just a few hours after talking to him on phone at 9 am Wednesday. The tragedy occurred at 2 pm. Vijaya Kumar, working as assistant engineer in Panchayat Raj department at Madipadu, told Express here Thursday. His elation turned into mourning in a matter of a few hours, leaving him totally shattered.
What made the tragic loss all the more unbearable was Harsha’s assurance to his father that he was doing well in the US and that he would share with him the burden of educating his two younger siblings soon, he added.
The anguished father, who put up a brave face for the sake of his wife Kalyani for nearly a day, was shaken to the core when she broke down on hearing the news of her son’s death from him Thursday.
He said he could not break the news of his eldest child’s death to his wife immediately and when he finally told her around 11 am Thursday, she collapsed and was later inconsolable.
Vijaya Kumar said that Shailendra had grand plans after finishing his course in another two months.
“Though he was supposed to visit us for Ugadi, he had postponed it and wanted to come after completing the course. Shailendra was pursuing his second year of MS in Lamar University in Beaumont,” he added.
On hearing the tragic news, Vijaya Kumar’s relatives and friends of the family thronged his house at Andhra Kesari Nagar Thursday and tried to console the grieving family.
Meanwhile, the family has urged the government to help in bringing back the body here at the earliest. It is expected to be brought on Sunday.