Nothing can dissuade a mother from being responsible for taking care of her child. This 48-year old woman who drove 1400 km on her scooty to bring back her son, stranded at his friend's house during the lockdown is the superlative epitome of the purest form of love.
Bravest mom ever!
"He is with me now, I am very happy," says Razia Begum, who set out on the arduous journey on Monday, 6 April, morning, with the local police permission in hand, riding solo to Nellore in Andhra Pradesh from Nizamabad in Telangana and returning with her younger son on Wednesday evening.
Undoubtedly, Razia has shown an endurance level even seasoned rallyists would find hard to match. "It was a difficult journey on a small two-wheeler for a woman. But the determination to bring my son back overtook all my fears. I packed rotis and they kept me going. It was fearsome in the nights with no traffic movement and people on roads," said the brave mother on her 'adventure'.
Razia's son 19-year-old Mohammed Nizamuddin, a student at Narayana Medical Academy at Hyderabad, had gone with his classmate to Rehmatabad in Nellore on March 12.
Although Nizamuddin had booked a return ticket for March 23, the unexpected events of lockdown and the corresponding cancellation of trains got him stranded there. There was no possible ways for him to reach till Hyderabad therefore.
Razia has lost her husband 15 years ago and lives with her two sons, an engineering graduate, and Nizamuddin, an MBBS aspirant.
'She is a gusty lady'
It was on Sunday, April 5, that Razia decided to take herself for the 'mission' to bring back her son safe amid the coronavirus pandemic. With chances of the national lockdown getting extended, Razia could no more tolerate her son remain stranded there.
"Hiring a car was out of question as no one was interested," she says. "I have been driving two-wheeler since 25 years. I used to drive to Hyderabad on a two-wheeler when he (husband) had to undergo dialysis. So I was not afraid although the distance was daunting," Razia added.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bodhan V Jaipal Reddy says, "She is a gutsy lady. I tried to persuade her to hire a car but she said she doesn't have that much money and went on the scooty. She requested a letter from me stating the reason for which she was travelling to be shown if she was stopped at checkposts. Her courage to bring back her standed son is very moving."
Razia, now quite relaxed with her son at home recollects, "I took 15-20 minute breaks at fuel stations, drank water and let the scooter engine cool down. Thankfully, the scooty did not break down anywhere. When I reached the Telangana-Andhra Pradesh border, it was late evening and the cops there were surprised to see me. They were taken aback when I told them where I was coming from and where I was going and it took a lot of convincing to allow me to go."
How far can a mother go for her child is, you bet, unfathomable.
