It was raining that day in 2012. He got off the train, closer to his family than he had been in three years. But nobody would take him those final miles. For one entire day, the 12 years-old sat, cold, forlorn, wet and crying at the Bareilly railway station. He knew his family lived in the city, but he knew not where. He tugged at shirt sleeves, but they brushed him off. “Mujhe bypass le jaao, mera ghar vahan hai.” They dismissed him and thought he was a beggar, a rag picker. He tried to tell them that he had not always been one. But no body seemed to listen. Two days later, Mohit Kumar was back at Kanpur railway station, collecting plastic bottles from the tracks for the woman who was his captor. Hunger had bested him. At least she gave him food.
In September 2009, Mohit and Javed, another boy from their locality, boarded a train to run away from their fathers. Javed was older, the mentor in this escapade. Nine years-old, Mohit thought it would be a great adventure. “Our fathers had scolded us for watching a movie at the kirana store, and he said we would go to Mumbai to be film stars. We sat on the first train we saw, and it started moving. Three stations later, Javed said he was going to toilet. I waited for him to return. He never came back,” says Mohit.
The last station was Kanpur, and Mohit was forced to get off by the railway staff. Then, she met Salma. She was older to him with some white hair. She brought him food. One roti and a leftover sabzi. The next day he became Javed Khan, younger brother to Salma. A beggar and a rag picker. He began with collecting bottles and had to collect Rs 400 a day. Slowly, Mohit was becoming Javed when he heard a man in khaki mention Bareilly. They had come looking for another child; Mohit tried to go to them but Salma became frantic and hit him.
It was sub-inspector Santosh Yadav, looking for missing children under a police operation. He found something amiss. Next day he went back to the boy and sent him back to Bareilly in white clothes with three policemen. This time the search for home was not futile. “Mohit wapis aa gaya,” they call out worried. He smiles at his name. Javed is already fading away.
In September 2009, Mohit and Javed, another boy from their locality, boarded a train to run away from their fathers. Javed was older, the mentor in this escapade. Nine years-old, Mohit thought it would be a great adventure. “Our fathers had scolded us for watching a movie at the kirana store, and he said we would go to Mumbai to be film stars. We sat on the first train we saw, and it started moving. Three stations later, Javed said he was going to toilet. I waited for him to return. He never came back,” says Mohit.
The last station was Kanpur, and Mohit was forced to get off by the railway staff. Then, she met Salma. She was older to him with some white hair. She brought him food. One roti and a leftover sabzi. The next day he became Javed Khan, younger brother to Salma. A beggar and a rag picker. He began with collecting bottles and had to collect Rs 400 a day. Slowly, Mohit was becoming Javed when he heard a man in khaki mention Bareilly. They had come looking for another child; Mohit tried to go to them but Salma became frantic and hit him.
It was sub-inspector Santosh Yadav, looking for missing children under a police operation. He found something amiss. Next day he went back to the boy and sent him back to Bareilly in white clothes with three policemen. This time the search for home was not futile. “Mohit wapis aa gaya,” they call out worried. He smiles at his name. Javed is already fading away.
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