'Had it not been for Sushma Didi, I'd have never come back home'

VARANASI: He never met her in person. But, she touched his life the way few could.
Santosh Bhardwaj, a city-based marine engineer who was kidnapped by Nigerian pirates three years ago and released 45 days later following the intervention of Sushma Swaraj, is trying to come to terms with the sudden demise of the former external affairs minister who he remembers being as caring as his elder sister.
Wife Kanchan and he heard the tragic news on television around 10.30pm on Tuesday. "We have lost our Didi (elder sister) and will always miss her," Santosh told TOI at his Rajtilaknagar home here on Wednesday.
It was the small hours of March 25, 2016. Santosh, a third engineer with a Singapore-based shipping company, was sailing around 30 nautical miles off Lagos when their vessel Sampatiki was intercepted by pirates.
"They opened fire, ordered the crew to assemble on the bridge of the ship, rummaged through every cabin to collect valuables - cash, jewellery, phones and laptops - and announced that they would take five officers with them," Santosh recalled.
So, the captain and the chief officer, both Ukrainians; the chief engineer, a Pakistani; the second engineer, a Bangladeshi; and Santosh were made to board the pirate boat. "They made us put on life jackets and took us to a forested island. They were equipped with satellite phones and said they would release us for money," he said.
On April 3, Santosh's family sought the Indian government's help for his release. "I never thought my one tweet will shake up governments here and abroad, but it did, thanks to Sushma Didi," said Kanchan.
A British negotiator was roped in by the shipping company and the officers were released after 45 days in captivity. "After I landed in Mumbai, I came to know how this great lady (Sushma) came to my rescue when I had almost lost hope of meeting my family again," Santosh said.
Kanchan recalled how the then external affairs minister had kept telling her not to lose hope. " Behen aap khana nahi choden... Main aapke pati ko chudwane mein koi kasar nahin chodungi (Sister, don't give up food... I will leave no stone unturned to ensure your husband's safe release)," Sushma had tweeted. On May 11, the minister had tweeted once again - this time expressing her happiness over Santosh's release.
The couple has one regret though. "We always wanted to meet her and thank her in person. We made the mistake of thinking there was still time... Hope she forgives us," Santosh said, doing his best to suppress tears.