They started with the distribution of sweets and breaking a coconut as per the age-old Hindu ritual, while a village elder prayed for the success of the mission. The children’s eagerness and excitement knew no bounds as they embarked upon their first river crossing in a motor boat. Their nightmare had finally ended and the villagers heaved a sigh of relief. “For me and my wife, it was one of the most fulfilling days of our lives,” said Varinder Bhalla. And it was as good as going to Disney World,” added a jubilant Ratna.

The exhilarated villagers on the other side of the river received the Bhalla couple with garlands. The children are dedicated to their studies and determined to succeed. They consider the gift of a boat from the AWB Food Bank as a loan from a bank and are committed to return this debt when they become successful in life by similarly helping others in need or distress.

Volunteers of Bhagwan Shree Lakshami Narayan Dham, a charitable and spiritual organisation, from Mumbai, Delhi and Vadodara joined the Bhallas in their rescue mission and also donated a battery for the motor boat. The management of Inphynyt, one of India’s leading manufacturers of automotive and industrial batteries, also lent their support by donating a costly marine battery.

The Bhallas are now back in New York but keep in touch with the villagers and the children in Gujarat.

“We are Punjabis, I am from Amritsar and my wife from Delhi, but we may have discovered that we are Gujarati at heart,” said Varinder Bhalla.