CHENNAI: For Goutham Hariharan, the journey from war-torn Kyiv in Ukraine to the safe shores of Chennai, along with his pet cat Grey, was nothing less than a miracle. His joy knew no bounds when he reached the Chennai airport safely on Friday carrying his cat in his arms. The journey back home was arduous and tiring but Goutham said his pet helped him remain calm.
Along with his Scottish Fold cat, Goutham spent three days in a bunker. He also had to walk through the desolate streets of Kyiv to reach the railway station, amid the roar of Russian tankers and loud explosions, and take a train to the Poland border. He reached Poland in a bus after waiting on the border for over six hours. And despite all the hardship, Goutham held on to Grey.
“It was a harrowing experience. I just pray to God that I never have to see anything like that again in my life. I am happy that I and Grey are together and alive,” said Goutham after reaching Chennai. Goutham, a native of Dharamapuri, who was pursuing MBBS (final year) at Bogomolets National Medical University in Kyiv, was gifted Grey in September by his friends, after his pet cat passed away due to some illness.
Since then, Grey has been the centre of attraction in Goutham’s life. When he came to know of the looming crisis in Ukraine, the first thing he did was getting a pet passport for Grey and sufficient food supplies.
“I received the pet passport just a week before the war broke out. On February 24, there was a missile attack in front of my apartment and so I immediately rushed to the university’s bunker along with Grey. Though I didn’t have enough food for myself, I ensured Grey ate properly and was safe in the cold,” said Goutham.
“I had to walk for over 4 km to reach the railway station and board the train from Kyiv to Poland border. The journey was not easy. The railway station was packed with people. At one point, it looked like I wouldn’t be able to board the train along with Grey as I felt my pet would be crushed or lost in the crowd. But by God’s grace, we managed to beat the odds. On the Poland border, Indian officials and some local NGOs helped me in getting necessary approvals,” said Goutham.
TN team travels to Delhi
Meanwhile, the special teams formed by the Tamil Nadu government to support evacuation of Tamil students stranded in war-hit Ukraine travelled to Delhi on Friday.