There this time, it’s special day for them

LUCKNOW: This Rakshabandhan is special for Kishan Yadav ( 34), a migrant labourer (painter) who recently returned from Mumbai to his village Tiwari Ka Purwa in Dariabad, Barabanki during the lockdown.

Corona times may have cast a dampener on festivities but Yadav is happy that after seven long years, this time he will celebrate the festival of sibling bond with his sister who lives six kilometres from his village.

Yadav said, “By the grace of God , we don’t have any Covid case in our area, nor within 10 km radius of our village, so it will not be an inhibiting factor during Rakshabandhan. But everyone is taking precautions. People think that villagers don’t know anything about the pandemic but it is not so. Today even villagers are aware.”

Recalling the good old days, he said, “I remember it was in 2012 when my sister tied a rakhi on my wrist. I also remember how I teased her before giving her the gift of a saree which I brought from Mumbai.”

“Living in Mumbai was the main reason to not celebrate Rakshabandhan in the traditional way for the past seven years. I always missed her on the festival but this year due to the pandemic I have returned, so now I will celebrate with her,” he said.

Desraj, 37, who was working in Pune and Lucknow has also returned to Tiwari Ka Purwa this year and will celebrate the festival with his sister after five years.

He said, “It’s hard to celebrate any festival without family members when you are in another city for work. I have been working in different cities for years. Sometimes your work takes you away from near and dear ones but this year I am in my village so will try to visit my sister a few km from here.”