This story is from December 2, 2016

Found after 25 years, woman adopted by aunt

When Geeta Chavda, a resident of Jawahar Chowk in Sabarmati area, visited the Government Hospital for Mental Health near Delhi Darwaja on November 15, she did not expect to find her sister-in-law Madhu, who had disappeared over 25 years ago and was considered dead.
Found after 25 years, woman adopted by aunt
(Representative image)
AHMEDABAD: When Geeta Chavda, a resident of Jawahar Chowk in Sabarmati area, visited the Government Hospital for Mental Health near Delhi Darwaja on November 15, she did not expect to find her sister-in-law Madhu, who had disappeared over 25 years ago and was considered dead.
In fact, in the first glance, the wiry woman with unfocused gaze did not resemble Madhu who was 19 years of age when she went missing.
Madhu had also refused to recognize Geeta. But, there was something about her demeanour that struck Geeta and she returned home in tears – they had found the 'girl' at last, even if it took over two decades to reunite.
For the staff at the mental hospital, such reunions are not a rarity but the story of Madhu’s family moved them. "Madhu was the only child of a couple who worked as masons and stayed in Jawahar Chowk. Her mother died when she was 15 years of age and she was married at 18 years. But, she did not get along well with her mother-in-law and soon returned home. Misfortune continued to dog her when she eloped with a youth whom she loved. She returned home heartbroken. Soon after this, she left home and never returned," said one of the family members who had come to the hospital to take her home.
"We searched for her frantically and checked every possible place but in vain. Four years later, her father passed away. She had two cousins who continued to search for her but soon they too died and with them Madhu became a memory. For us her name was more like a synonym for our long, unsuccessful search," said the family member.
Arpan Nayak, a social worker associated with the hospital, said that Madhavpura police had found her near Halim ni Khadki on November 7. As she could not even speak properly, police took her to the mental hospital. During treatment Madhu kept chanting Chavda and Jawahar Chowk. Hospital authorities asked some staff members living in the same area to check for missing women.
"It was a miracle that just after eight days of inquiry her relatives could be traced, even with such sketchy details. The relatives could not recognise Madhu at first but later realized that it was indeed her," Nayak said. Her paternal aunt and uncle, sexagenarians living in Rapar, Kutch, willingly decided to take her home with them.

Her uncle Vira Solanki, who is a trustee of Trikam Saheb Ashram near Rapar said: "We have four daughters and three sons – all of them are married. It is a miracle that we found her after so many years. Her parents are dead and her cousins who were close to her are also dead. We are happy to have Madhu as our daughter," said Solanki.
Dr Ajay Chauhan, superintendent of the hospital, said "Madhu suffers from schizophrenia and other psychological ailments. It is rare for a relative to adopt a patient with such mental ailments. We often see cases where family members abandon their own. Madhu’s aged aunt and uncle have set an example for all," he said.
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About the Author
Parth Shastri

Parth Shastri is senior correspondent at The Times of India, Ahmedabad. He reports on crime as well as issues related to traffic in the city, forensic investigation, archaeology and emergency medical services.

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