“I know I was taking a risk but I had no choice. I was worried about my younger son who was stuck in Rahmatabad in Nellore district after the government imposed a 21-day nationwide lockdown. I constantly felt anxious. I wanted to bring him back to our hometown Bodhan at any cost, so, I approached Bodhan’s ACP Jaipal Reddy sir and requested his help in granting me the permission to bring my son back to home on my scooter.
Initially he was reluctant because of the lockdown restrictions but after noticing my concern and upon continuous requests, he granted me a pass. He gave me a letter permitting me to travel despite the lockdown and also appealed to the Andhra Pradesh police to allow me into the state. It is definitely not an easy task to travel more than1400 kms up and down on a small two wheeler for three days but the determination to bring my son back clouded all my fears.
My son and his friend had gone to Nellore from Nizamabad by train on 12th of March to see his friend’s father who was unwell. He told me that he would stay there at his friend’s place for 10 days as he also wanted to visit the Dargah in Rahmatabad. He had booked a return ticket to Nizamabad for 23rd of March but by then, all the trains had been cancelled and the national lockdown imposed. He was stuck there, unable to travel back home. With no other options left, he had to stay back at his friends place for the next 17 days. I was already worried about his health because of COVID-19 outbreak and Nellore being one of the most affected districts in Andhra Pradesh further added to my concerns. So I finally decided to bring him back by myself to home on my two-wheeler.
I did not want my elder son to go pick him up because I thought he would be mistaken for a joyrider because of the strict lockdown norms.
Travelling long distances on a two-wheeler is not a new thing for me. My husband passed away 14 years ago, as he was suffering from kidney failure but I never took anybody’s help. I constantly used to travel from Bodhan to Hyderabad alone as he had to undergo dialysis.
So, after I got the permission from police, I started on my journey to Rahmatabad from Bodhan early in the morning on 7th of April. I didn’t even inform my son or my family members about it. Later, after reaching the outskirts of Hyderabad, I called up my son and told him that I was coming to pick him up. He was shocked and happy at the same time. I travelled on the deserted raods continuously, despite the extreme heat. I stopped at most petrol stations, took breaks regularly and kept myself hydrated all through the journey. I carried rotis along with me for the journey. When I reached Andhra border, it was already late in the evening but I continued my journey.
I was stopped at the check post at 2 am on Tuesday on the outskirts of Nellore by police. It was dark and I was the only woman on the highway at that time. Police suggested I wait for a few hours as the road ahead was not safe to travel at that time. So I obeyed the police instructions and awaited at a roadside shelter near the check post for two hours. Later, at 4 am, I called my son and told him I was nearby. I finally arrived Rahmatabad at 7:30 am on Tuesday morning. I took some rest and stayed there at his friends place for sometime. From there, we started back to Bodhan in the afternoon around 4 pm. We travelled for 16 hours with short breaks on our way back.
When we reached Kamareddy, local media got to know about my journey and followed us before we finally returned to Bodhan at 3 pm on Wednesday. I still wonder how I managed to ride 1400 kms alone but that’s what I think motherhood is all about!”
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