Geeta’s wait is finally over and she is all set to return to her home in India. The 23 year old was stranded in Pakistan for 15 long years and she is ecstatic to know that she will get to reunite with her family soon.
Geeta, a speech-impaired girl from Bihar, had accidentally crossed the border and entered Pakistan when she was about 8 years old. Little did she know that her mistake would lead to a 15 year long ordeal for her. In Pakistan, she is being looked after by the charitable Edhi Foundation.
According to reports from Pakistan, she was found by Pakistan Rangers from Lahore railway station aound 15 years ago and was handed over to Edhi Foundation.
A staunch believer in spirituality, she prayed before a tiny temple filled with Hindu gods in Karachi.
Geeta’s plight is heart wrenching. Especially abled girl, Geeta could neither express her intense pining to reunite with her family members nor could she express how she felt or what she wanted.
According to the officials of Edhi Foundation, she would spend most of time scribbling on a diary or draw something she liked.
The ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’ Effect
One night, after watching ‘Bjrangi Bhaijan’ on cable TV, she broke down into tears and expressed her desire to meet Salman Khan who in the film helped a girl to reunite with her family in Pakistan.
She was very eager to meet the actor and her eyes gleamed with happiness as she thought that Salman would play her ‘real life’ ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’ and would help her find a way to her home in India.
The ‘Being Human’ actor extended his support and joined the government’s effort to bring Geeta back to India. According to report, he also told his director, Kabir Khan to do everything possible to bring her back.
Geeta’s predicament caught both India and Pakistan’s media attention after the release of ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’ which became popular in both nations.
MEA’s support for Geeta
External affairs ministry had earlier said that the government is making the best of efforts to bring Geeta back. Union Minister, Sushma Swaraj announced on October 15 that Geeta will come back home soon after her DNA tests are conducted as there are multiple families who have claimed that Geeta is their daughter.
Sources say Geeta identified her family members in a photograph sent to her by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The family’s origin has been traced to Bihar.
Swaraj also mentioned in a tweet that her family has been traced and she will be reunited with her family soon.
Geeta will be back in India soon. We have located her family. She will be handed over to them only after the DNA test.#Geeta
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 15, 2015
Geeta’s ordeal will end soon and she is happy that she will be with her family soon. But there are many others who are stranded in Pakistan and are still waiting for their ‘Bajrangi Bhaijans’ to come and reunite them with their loved ones.