JAGATSINGHPUR: It took 17 days for 30-year-old Udaya Kiran Das and his 26-year-old wife Mamata to reach their native Ambasal within Balikuda police limits on a bicycle from Chennai. The couple undertook the treacherous 1,400 km journey after running out of all options.

The factories in which they worked were closed due to the lockdown and to add to their woes, the landlord asked them to vacate their rented house.

A desperate Udaya bought a second hand bicycle and started the journey with Mamata on the carrier on May 8. 

Describing his ordeal, Udaya said "As the days passed, the situation worsened and there came a time when we thought we would die of hunger after almost running out of cash.” 

The couple slept at petrol pumps or wherever they saw groups of people like them taking rest. “We had little cash with us but we managed to buy food with it during the journey,” he said. 

As Mamata does not know how to cycle, it was Udaya who pedalled 60-70 km on an average every day.

“We reached our village by the grace of God. We would not have left the State had the Government given us jobs here,” said Mamata. 

Meanwhile, sarpanch of Ambasala gram panchayat Pravati Kandi said the couple has been quarantined at the local temporary medical centre for 14 days.