CHENNAI: It was past midnight on Saturday as a group of young men tossed and turned on a tiled sidewalk near the Central station.
One of them was checking his watch frequently. Time was all the more important for these men from Nepal as they had been desperately waiting for more than two months to return home.
Now, their hope to go home has fructified after they got confirmed tickets on a special train to Delhi.
“From Delhi, we will make some arrangement to travel further by road,” said Utham, a resident of Darchula in Nepal.
Darchula and its adjoining Kalapani region in Uttarakhand have been in news recently after a border dispute erupted between India and its Himalayan neighbour.
The young Nepali men, however, expressed optimism about returning to Chennai once the pandemic is brought under control.
“I am not worried about the dispute,” said Utham adding that his family members are traditionally connected to India through marriages.
“We have relatives across the border. All these disputes are created by social media and TV channels,” he said. However, his friend Jagan didn’t share Utham’s optimism. “If not resolved sooner, it may affect our job prospects,” he said.
While the men, numbering 25-30, tried to get some sleep before boarding the train early in the morning, some of them shared their experiences with this reporter.
Vikram, who worked as a packed juice delivery agent here, said they were struggling without a salary after the lockdown was effected. He said he would return to Chennai at the earliest.
“I never felt like a foreigner while working here. Whatever these politicians say, our bond with India is strong,” he added.Hours were still left for the special train to blow its departing whistle.
“It’s a big relief that we are finally able to go home,” said Utham while holding on to his luggage.