Last Update: January 07, 2023, 00:07 AM IST
Railways traced the location of the train on January 4 and returned the toy to the child (Representational Image)
After Adnan’s family landed in Kishanganj, Patnaik immediately contacted the rail helpline – 139 – Rail Madad – and informed them about the toy, in the hope that the railways’ system would work for the child
Some bonds are not meant to be broken. Or not now. Adnan had such a bond with his toy train throughout the 19 months. Her first heartbreak was – perhaps – when she lost the toy on the train back home.
But unlike most stories, this one didn’t have to end on a whim.
A fellow passenger, a sergeant in the Indian Army, had observed the child’s antics with the toy throughout their journey. When he saw that the child had forgotten his toy, he undertook to reunite it with him, and in pursuit of it, sent vast railway machinery into motion.
On 3 January, Vibhutibhushan Patnaik was traveling in the same coach of the Secunderabad-Agartala Express as Adnan and his family.
“I saw him playing with toys throughout the trip. In fact, when some technicians of the train hid the toy while playing with him, he started crying loudly. When I saw that he had left the toy behind, I had to do something,” Patnaik told PTI.
After Adnan’s family landed in Kishanganj, Patnaik immediately contacted the rail helpline – 139 – Rail Madad – and informed them about the toy, in the hope that the railways’ system would work for the child.
“Usually these helplines are meant for emergencies and to deal with cases where people have lost important belongings. However, I was hopeful,” said Patnaik, who did not have much information about Adnan other than his name and the family of three who boarded the train from Secunderabad.
However, the Railways traced the location of the train on January 4 and returned the toy to the child.
According to an official, tracing the contact details was a difficult task as the ticket was bought through the reservation counter in Secunderabad.
A team was deputed to identify the reservation slips filled before reservation. After a thorough search, the demand slip was identified and contact details traced.
The names of Adnan’s parents were found through a reservation chart and they were identified as Mohit Raza and Nasreen Begum of Qazi village in Uttar Dinajpur district, 20 km from Aluabari railway station. A railway team went to his house and delivered the toy.
“My 19-month-old had forgotten his favorite toy truck on the train, which was very close to his heart. I thought no one would put in any effort for just one toy. So even when I felt bad for my child, I didn’t file a complaint,” said an overwhelmed Raza.
He thanked Patnaik for showing heart and helping the railway minister and the rail system in using their resources for a small child.
“It makes me happy to think that the toy is back with Adnan. If I had left it there, I would not have had peace of mind,” Patnaik said.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)