Fate can be harsh beyond belief at times, yet it can also work miracles in one’s life. It’s most likely what inspired William Shakespeare to write, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women only players.”
Jana Nayak’s tale is a perfect example of this powerful aspect of human life. Jana, a native of Gumi village in Nayagarh district’s Nuagaon block, had everything he could want: a loving family with a wife and two children, and enough money to get by.
But he had no idea that his life would be turned upside down to an extent that no one could have predicted. Jana got some form of psychiatric disorder for unknown causes before succumbing completely to the darkness within his psyche. He never recovered from his memory loss and wandered off somewhere he had no concept about.
Jana was just rescued from Mumbai by the Shraddha Foundation, a charitable organisation. Its members claim to have discovered him wandering the city’s streets and admitted him to a private hospital for treatment.
Jana gradually recovered his identity, and as the realisation dawned on him, he told the members of the Shraddha Foundation about his background and some fragments of his memories from his lost years. He even recalled his wife, children, and village, which was unexpected.
Jana recently returned to his house with the support of the foundation. But, given that it’s been 12 years since he vanished, a lot has changed in that time. Almost everyone who knew him assumed he was dead, and many of his villagers did not recognise him at first. His brother and sister-in-law, who had been traumatised beyond comprehension, were ecstatic at his resurrection from oblivion.
His return has undoubtedly brought joy to the entire region, as well as to Jana, but there is also a tinge of grief in his heart. His children and wife had already gone for someone else.
Jana’s brother, Pandari Nayak, feels bad about not doing anything to find his brother after he went missing. “We couldn’t do anything since we thought he was dead. He has now returned thanks to God’s grace. “At the very least, I can forgive myself now,” he remarked.
Written By: Swati Sahoo
