Kanhangad: For 70-year-old Sarojini, Mini is her own daughter who does her hair and helps in wearing clothes. As she comes out of the house, holding Mini’s hand, she said “this daughter is god’s gift to me”.

Sarojini resides at Thoyammal here while Mini P Joseph is a native of Mavungal. They met 9 years back. Since then Mini is Sarojini’s own daughter whom god had sent to her. Sarojini had lost her twin sons to drowning when they were 9 years old.

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Photo: N Ramnath Pai

Mini is a head nurse at the Kanhangad district hospital. She had met Sarojini while working at the palliative care centre. She had come here to take care of Sarojini’s husband Kunjambu, a farmer.

Knowing about their conditions, Mini took more interest in their household and took care of both. Gradually she became their daughter. Kunjambu passed away three years back.

Sarojini has no relatives. She is staying in the house constructed on 1.5 cents of land obtained as family inheritance for Kunjambu.

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She hadn’t faced any hardships even during lockdown as her daughter took care of everything. Groceries and vegetables were provided to her house by nearby shop as arranged by Mini.

Left alone in this world, Sarojini sees the ray of hope in life through Mini.