Meppadi (Kerala): As Rahul’s body was finally recovered from the freezing waters of the Meenakshipuzha river after three days of searching, his newlywed bride Kalpana was traveling home, entirely unaware of the tragedy. Having left Wayanad early in the morning, she was on a flight to Himachal Pradesh via Bengaluru. Her family had consciously decided to keep her in the dark during the long journey.

It was only upon reaching her mother’s side at their home in Mandi of Himachal Pradesh, that she would have realised the heartbreaking truth that her wait was over, and her husband would never return. Wrapped in the comforting arms of her family, she remains inconsolable.

Around 10.00 am, Rahul’s body was found near the bus that had plunged into the Meenakshipuzha river. Taking one look at his brother Rohit broke down, crying out, "Bhaiya..." (Brother). His relative, Ramveer Sharma, held him close as Rohit wept, asking, "What will I tell Bhabi (sister-in-law)? What will I tell mother and father?" The onlookers stood in silence, unable to offer consolation as tears flowed.

The family was fraught with anxiety over how to break the news to Rahul’s mother, Manju Kumari, waiting in Himachal, and to Kalpana’s parents. Until her very last moments in Wayanad, Kalpana had held onto hope that her husband would return alive. Before leaving for her hometown, her only prayer was, "I just want him back." For three agonising days of waiting, she had worn her vermilion and the traditional red bridal bangles, refusing to give up hope.

Rahul Sharma was an engineer with Dilip Buildcon, the contracting company for the Wayanad tunnel road project. The couple was married just last February. Following their wedding, he had moved to Wayanad with his bride, renting a house on Chembra Road in Meppadi.

"Even though he didn't know Malayalam, he interacted with everyone with immense love," recalled Sivan, who runs a local shop near their rented home.