Ukraine crisis: 5-day long journey concludes with hugs and smiles

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A five-day long journey concluded with hugs and smiles at Bhopal airport as cousins Anil Dhakad and Sunil Dhakad returned from missile-hit Ukraine on Thursday evening.

We left Odessa on February 27, planning to go to Romania. But half-way there, our friends advised us to take the Hungary route as there were over 10,000 people fighting to cross the border. We reached Hungary border to find very few Indians amid Nigerians and South Africans. They did not let us pass, Anil told Free Press.

We stayed for three days before we finally managed to cross and reach Hungary. We were tired and our bodies had given up. These three days were most difficult. We had no experience of coping with the situation. We were short of supplies and there was nobody to help us, he added recalling his ordeal.

Anil said Hungarians were welcoming. They offered to take students to their homes for food and rest. We were planning to take shelter somewhere with Romanians. But thankfully, embassy contacted us and took us to its shelter camp. We stayed there for one night and boarded the flight on Wednesday and came to Delhi. The MP government provided us shelter at Madhyanchal Bhawan in new Delhi on Wednesday night. Reaching Bhopal and finally being able to hug my family is heavenly, he remarked.

This is our second life. The war has changed us inside out, he adds. Anil and Kuldeep were on their way to Raghogarh till the report was filed. Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh reached Bhopal airport to take the cousins home.