Dibrugarh, June 19: After the ordeal, the return home.

Debasish Kakati, the young fire engineer from Sivasagar district of Upper Assam who was abducted by terrorists in Nigeria, will return home with his family within the next fortnight.

Kakati was working for Indorama petroleum company, when he was taken hostage. After his release, the 32-year-old fire engineer had chosen to stay back in Nigeria till all his colleagues were released. Now that is over — they were freed last week — he is now preparing to return home to Sivasagar, where his parents live.

“Debasish will come back within 15 days along with our buari (daughter-in-law) and nati (grandson). Their return tickets are ready,” said Ajit Kakati, Debasish’s father, over telephone from his Sivasagar residence.

Before he sets off for home, though, Debasish and his family will take a short vacation.

“It has been very traumatic. He needs to collect himself,” Ajit Kakati explained. “I had a long phone conversation with Debasish last evening and he said that he just wants to relax for a couple of days. He’ll go in for a very short trip, probably to Paris, and then he will return home,” he said.

Debasish has not yet decided on whether to remain with Indorama, which has operations in 13 countries, including Nigeria.

“Debasish will take a final decision after reaching home, when he will have a detailed discussion with all of us,” his father disclosed.

“After his release, we have held several rounds of phone conversations with Basa (Debasish’s pet name). He has also sent us several emails. But I want to see him, I want to embrace him, I want to take him in my arms like I did when he was a kid,” Debasish’s mother Kumkum said, almost sobbing with joy.

His mother also added that she would cook all her son’s favourite dishes during his weeklong stay in Sivasagar.

“He does not have any particular preference. He likes anything cooked by me, such as fish tenga, or any cuisine prepared in a traditional Assamese household,” she added.

Debasish’s other family members, including his sister, who is married and lives in Dibrugarh, will also join “the party” when Basa returns home. The countdown to the reunion has truly begun for the Kakatis.