Teenage siblings Arnima and Niten Rai had thought they had nothing more to lose when they became orphans in 2022. The landslide in Mirik that flattened their home on Sunday proved them wrong.
For three days, they sat amid the rubble, unsure how to begin anew.
“We have nothing with us to rebuild our lives,” said 17-year-old Arnima, who quit studies in Class XI after her parents’ death.
Their mother Sabita used to work at the Thurbo Tea Estate while father Jiten was a Group-D employee at the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
They died of stomach ailments within 10 months of each other.
“My mother died in January 2022. We lost our father in October the same year,”
Arnima said.
Since then, Arnima and her 19-year-old brother have been surviving on the rice provided through the public distribution system, vegetables offered by neighbours and the ₹4,000 they receive from the district administration every month.
However, hope flickered once again for the duo struggling to make sense of the cruel twist of fate.
Arbin Subba and his friends, all residents of Mirik, have decided to fund their studies and help them rebuild their house.
“I came to know about their plight on Wednesday afternoon. My friends and I immediately decided to take care of their education for as long as they want. We will also rebuild their house to the best of our capacity,” said Arbin, 47.
Niten studies in Class XI at Thurbo Higher Secondary School in Mirik. “I lost everything... textbooks, uniforms... in the landslide. The only thing left with us is the set of clothes that we are wearing,” he said.
Arnima was alone at home when the landslide struck. “I heard a loud thud and found myself trapped inside the house,” she said.
When she got her bearings back, she called her neighbours, who had to break down a wooden door to rescue her.
Arbin and his team have decided to buy textbooks for Niten and two sets of uniforms. “I, too, have lost my parents and know the pain and uncertainty that they must be going through,” said Arbin.
With Arbin by their side, Arnima said she too wanted to continue her studies.
Arbin and his team have also decided to approach the GTA for a job for Niten on compassionate grounds.