Two Families, One Man: Katihar Man Returns After 31 Years

<p>A train journey taken as a child by a boy from Katihar has ended in an extraordinary reunion 31 years later. The story of Pintu Yadav, who is also known as Abdul Jabbar, is one of separation, care, identity and an unusual kind of family bond that now places him between two households.</p><p>In 1995, Pintu, son of Motilal Yadav and Meena Devi of Kantakosh village in Maniharí block, was around eight years old. He travelled by train with his friends, but a nap during the journey changed the course of his life. His friends disembarked, while he stayed on the train and woke up in the Radhikapur area of West Bengal.</p><p>Stranded in an unfamiliar town, he was found by Abdul Rahim, a resident of Harikrishnapuri. Rahim took him home and raised him within his own family. Under their care the child grew up, received a new name and eventually became Abdul Jabbar.</p><p>Jabbar later married Mutaina Khatun of Kaliyachak. The couple have two sons and a daughter, and his life took shape in West Bengal far from his birthplace.</p><p>Meanwhile, his birth family spent three decades wondering about his fate. His parents had no information about where he was or how he was living.</p><p>The turning point arrived when Jabbar went to Delhi to earn a living as a labourer. He befriended several people from Maniharí and told them where he came from, including his father's name and the village near the Ganga. Those friends began a careful search, which led them to the family in Kantakosh. A viral video of a wheat crop in Maniharí also rekindled his hope of coming home.</p><p>He had made two earlier attempts to reach the village. This time, he was determined to find the family that had lost him.</p><p>When he reached Kantakosh with the help of villagers, his mother needed time to recognise him. The old scar above his eye and childhood details known only to the family removed any doubt. Relatives and neighbours confirmed that he was indeed Pintu, and the family embraced him.</p><p>The homecoming drew a crowd, and the Yadav household filled with visitors eager to hear his story. Brothers Munna, Ajit, Subhash, Rahul, Vikram and Suraj Yadav, along with sister Pushpa Devi, are happy to have him back.</p><p>Jabbar now finds himself torn between two deep attachments. The parents who gave him life and the family who raised him both hold a place in his heart. He has said he would like to live with both.</p><p>The case raises enduring questions about what makes a family. Does kinship come only from birth? Can the family that nurtures a child matter as much as the one that bore him? Jabbar's life suggests that memory, care and belonging can coexist, even when they span different names, faiths and places.