Mumbai: Mulund boy returns home after going missing for a year

Aniket with his parents Babita and Rajendraprasad Tiwari

A little over a year after he went missing, Aniket Tiwari, 17, walked into his Mulund home on February 22 and fell into the arms of his family, who found his return to be joyous and surreal.

His father, Rajendraprasad Tiwari said, "My son came back on Thursday evening. Five days after his return, there is still a sense of disbelief about him being back amongst us. I have to touch him on the head to make sure he is Aniket!"

Aniket

Finding Aniket
For one year Tiwari, his wife Babita and five daughters Varsha, Vaishnavi, Sheetal, Rakhi and Tejaswini had been searching for Aniket in vain after he walked out of his home on February 15, 2017 to go downstairs to play and never returned. Posters in Mulund had announced him missing, an FIR had been filed at Mulund police station, "The police station had literally become our second home," said Tiwari.

Through those 12 months, the Tiwaris said, "There had been so many false alarms about Aniket being spotted by different people everywhere. We chased leads buoyed by hope, only to see them fall flat. Then on Thursday, Sheetal got a call from her friend saying she had spotted Aniket near the Mulund railway station. We were skeptical. My daughter told us, do not take it so lightly. It might be Aniket. Our spirits soared at those words."

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Rajendraprasad Tiwari (left) with four daughters, son Aniket (behind), Aniket's grandmother Paramdevi Tiwari and mother Babita at home

Expecting him to finally come home, the family rushed out of their 17th floor flat and waited near the lift. "Yet, after half an hour, we went back inside, nobody came up, we were dejected." In a few minutes, the doorbell rang. The family opened the door and fell to their knees in joy. "[Aniket was] standing at the door. Soon, we all were all over him, hugging, shouting, crying all at the same time," said his sisters.

Tiwari said his son was smiling but seemed a little… "Mentally affected. He has not shared much with us, only told his sisters that he went to Gujarat, a little away from Ahmedabad where [maybe] he was doing drilling or welding work. He gave them Rs 40,000 from his work savings. He is physically unharmed."

Aniket with his sister Rakhi

Will speak after a few days
Struggling to contain his tears, the relieved father said, "We will speak to him at length after a few days. Even the police have asked us not to bombard him with questions at least for a week and let him rest and give him his space and freedom." The Tiwaris believe reticent Aniket, "Will open up about why he left us when it is time."

His father said, "I had not lost hope, though I did have very dark days. I believe in divine retribution; I have always done good for people in my life, and I thought something good will happen to me too. The police have been outstanding as well," said Tiwari, showing his mobile phone that was replete with congratulatory messages, even as tears continued to fall on the screen.