Sustenance was never easy for the family of 22-year-old Abhishek, but the new job he had recently landed had made him the financial mainstay in his family of five and fuelled a lot of optimism and hope.
His income of a few thousand rupees fitting dish antennas was not about to alter the family’s fortunes dramatically, but it instilled hope that they would move out of the two tiny rooms that they were forced to squeeze into in Rajbir Nagar, east Delhi.
Abhishek had also been putting away a little money every month for the marriage of his younger sister, who is still a minor.
Dreams crushed
But fate, as Abhishek’s father chose to put it, had other plans for them and brought to a screeching end all the dreams they had started to see. The family said that Abhishek had been out with his cousins Amit and Deepak for some ‘personal’ work on Friday. Abhishek and Deepak were on one bike, which he was driving, while Amit was on another motorbike.
They were near the Ghazipur landfill in east Delhi when suddenly a tide of water and garbage swept them into a drain.
Amit and Deepak were fortunate as locals were able to fish them out quickly. Though they were injured, the duo immediately started looking for Abhishek.
The water was shallow but with each passing moment, the concern was building up. There own search was in vain, and the brothers were taken to the hospital.
Rescuers meanwhile continued to sift through the drain. Towards the evening, the family’s worst fears came true. Abhishek was declared brought dead by hospital authorities.
With Abhishek gone the family has lost all hope.