GUWAHATI: Two youths from Jorhat, who lost their jobs with a software company in Chennai during the lockdown, returned home on Saturday. The biggest takeaway of this marathon journey covering almost 3,000 km, has been their ride back to their home state overcoming hurdles and even running into a super storm.
Unlike hundreds of others who were returning home from various states after job-loss, the two neither walked, nor took a train ride for fear of getting infected. They bought a two-wheeler, second hand though, and drove all the way from Kanchhipuram near Chennai to Mariani, near the Assam-Nagaland border.
Jadab Bora and Bidyut Barua are now in quarantine and waiting for the test results checking if they have any infection.
The duo started their journey on May 18, two days before Cyclone Amphan was to hit the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts. They bought a motorcycle for Rs 45,000 with a Tamil Nadu registration and filled fuel for about Rs 5,000. Bora and Barua said whatever money they had saved in the last couple of years, they spent on their epic journey. They were employed as drivers by the software company. Little wonder then that they opted for this thrilling journey on wheels.
"Everyone cooperated with us, right from people in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha to West Bengal. When we reached Odisha, the cyclone had arrived," recalled the two.
"We had not seen this kind of a storm. It was uprooting trees and flattening houses. We were really scared. A hotelier in Bhubaneswar gave us shelter and we could relax," they said.
Bora and Barua added that they were overwhelmed by the support of the people. Some migrants were walking, some were on cycles, some on motorcycles. They were offered food and water by locals all along the route. "Finally, we entered Assam through the Sri Rampur gate along the Assam-West Bengal border on Saturday," said Barua.
On Sunday, their two-wheeler developed some fault and they had to wait at Baihata near Guwahati. The police helped them get the vehicle repaired on Sunday itself. "We reached home in Jorhat on Monday," said the two.
"Hopefully we should not be the carrier of the virus to our state," said the two youths.
Unlike hundreds of others who were returning home from various states after job-loss, the two neither walked, nor took a train ride for fear of getting infected. They bought a two-wheeler, second hand though, and drove all the way from Kanchhipuram near Chennai to Mariani, near the Assam-Nagaland border.
Jadab Bora and Bidyut Barua are now in quarantine and waiting for the test results checking if they have any infection.
The duo started their journey on May 18, two days before Cyclone Amphan was to hit the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts. They bought a motorcycle for Rs 45,000 with a Tamil Nadu registration and filled fuel for about Rs 5,000. Bora and Barua said whatever money they had saved in the last couple of years, they spent on their epic journey. They were employed as drivers by the software company. Little wonder then that they opted for this thrilling journey on wheels.
"Everyone cooperated with us, right from people in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha to West Bengal. When we reached Odisha, the cyclone had arrived," recalled the two.
"We had not seen this kind of a storm. It was uprooting trees and flattening houses. We were really scared. A hotelier in Bhubaneswar gave us shelter and we could relax," they said.
Bora and Barua added that they were overwhelmed by the support of the people. Some migrants were walking, some were on cycles, some on motorcycles. They were offered food and water by locals all along the route. "Finally, we entered Assam through the Sri Rampur gate along the Assam-West Bengal border on Saturday," said Barua.
On Sunday, their two-wheeler developed some fault and they had to wait at Baihata near Guwahati. The police helped them get the vehicle repaired on Sunday itself. "We reached home in Jorhat on Monday," said the two.
"Hopefully we should not be the carrier of the virus to our state," said the two youths.
Coronavirus outbreak
Trending Topics
LATEST VIDEOS
More from TOI
Navbharat Times
Featured Today in Travel
Quick Links
Kerala Coronavirus Helpline NumberHaryana Coronavirus Helpline NumberUP Coronavirus Helpline NumberBareilly NewsBhopal NewsCoronavirus in DelhiCoronavirus in HyderabadCoronavirus in IndiaCoronavirus symptomsCoronavirusRajasthan Coronavirus Helpline NumberAditya ThackerayShiv SenaFire in MumbaiAP Coronavirus Helpline NumberArvind KejriwalJammu Kashmir Coronavirus Helpline NumberSrinagar encounter
Get the app