Souvik Pal. Died on January 22, 2013. 18 years of age. Rest in peace” — so read the label on the coffin placed inside the waiting room of the electric crematorium in Hebbal. A few metres away, there was a drawing note saying “To, Dada Bhai. I love u. By Kucha.”
The note clearly indicated how the little one would miss his elder cousin Souvik. Also, there was an orange colour T-shirt, which Souvik always loved to wear, placed near the coffin.
Souvik, a City youth who went missing from a night club in Britain on December 31, 2012, was found drowned in a canal at Manchester on January 22.
His body was brought to City on Thursday. As father Santanu Pal performed the last rituals, Souvik’s body was cremated amidst unstoppable tears of friends and family members who had assembled at the crematorium at around 1.30 pm.
Back at the residence, on 3rd Main Road of Hebbal, Souvik’s mother Mahuya Pal was uncontrollable since morning.
Even though Souvik’s body landed at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) around 8 am, it took a lot of time for family members to complete the procedure and get the body out.
Friends, relatives and over 50 media men were waiting near their Hebbal residence since 8.30 am. When the body arrived it was 12 noon.
Soon, the mother’s cries echoed through the apartment building. Relatives were guarding the gates preventing any violation of privacy.
Heartrending
The van carrying the body was brought into the building before Santanu Pal made his quiet inconspicuous entrance. Souvik’s mother let out a loud wailing cry “babo re, babo re” (meaning kid come back) when she saw her son’s corpse. The van was surrounded by relatives and neighbours who paid their respects in silence, while the women of the immediate family had the strongest reaction.
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