Man who went missing 26 years ago finally reunites with his mother

Mangaluru: A mother’s 26-year wait ended in tears of joy when her son, who had gone missing as a 12-year-old boy after leaving with a circus troupe, unexpectedly returned to his native village in Dharmasthala.

Sathish, the eldest son of Kunha and Akku, a couple from Ashok Nagar in Dharmasthala village, had gone to work with a circus company that visited during the Dharmasthala Lakshadeepotsava festival in 2000. He was just a 12-year-old boy at the time, and never returned home.

His family searched extensively for him, but to no avail. Consumed by grief over her missing son, his mother, Akku, spent her days constantly thinking of him. She made vows to gods and deities for his return. Whenever she sought astrological guidance, it indicated that her son would return home.

After leaving his hometown with the circus company, Sathish moved to Maharashtra. Over the years, he built a life for himself by taking up various jobs. He also married a woman named Taleema. Living in a rented house in Maharashtra with two children, he was leading a peaceful life.

Although Satish had built a new life in Maharashtra under the name Salim Abdul Ansari, the yearning for his original home remained deep in his heart. Recently, he travelled to the distant town of Dharmasthala with some friends to visit the temple. As he walked along the road in front of the temple after offering prayers, old memories began rushing back one by one. Reflecting on these childhood memories, he approached a local shop in Dharmasthala in search of his mother.

He told the shopkeeper that he belonged to the same village and had left 26 years ago, sharing the names of his parents and brothers. Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper conveyed the information to Sathish’s family. Seeing her son return after 26 long years, the mother hugged him tightly, weeping tears of joy. “In the future, I will visit frequently to see my mother, and I will also bring my family along,” said Sathish alias Salim Abdul Ansari.