Kumar Prashant reunites with wife Prerna and daughter Avani outside Patna airport on Monday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Aug. 29: Teej couldn’t have been better for Prerna. A popular festival of Bihar in which the women fast for the long lives of their husband, Prerna has got the best gift she could have asked for.

Her husband Kumar Prashant, who spent six months in captivity of the dreaded Somalian pirates, is back with her and his family. The second officer of MV Shinin, a cargo vessel which was hijacked by the pirates in the troubled waters of the North Arabian Sea, 32-year-old Prashant walked out of the Patna airport today, looking frail but sporting a smile after going through hell.

The cargo vessel, belonging to the Irano Hind Shipping Company and laden with iron ore, was hijacked on February 12 this year while on way to China from Iran.

On August 13, the crew, consisting of 10 Indians and 13 Iranian nationals, were visited by Iranian marine commandos who had apparently raided the ship, leading to their release.

The vessel was taken to Colombo from where the Indian crew members flew to their respective homes.

As Prashant came out of the airport, his two-year-old daughter Avani initially didn’t recognise him. But soon she leapt into his arms.

“It has been a nightmare but I am thankful to God that it has ended. My family has gone through a horrendous time. I thank all those who have stood by me and my family in our dark days,” Prashant told The Telegraph at his home at Kankerbagh.

Prashant said that after setting sail from Iran, the vessel had stopped at Fujairah, an emirate in the United Arab Emirates, for refuelling as well as for food supplies. “We started from Fujairah and were in the middle of the sea, known to be a pirate zone, for one-and-a-half days when the officer on duty spotted a small ship darting at us at top speed. The officer smelled a rat and immediately rung the general alarm signalling the entire crew to come to the main station of the ship. But we could not as the boat had come very near us. Further away, there was another big ship slowly approaching us. Since the merchant navy doesn’t carry weapons, we took out fire hoses and sprayed water on the boat. The men on the boat retaliated by first firing in the air and then at the boat. We knew nothing could be done,” Prashant said.

The pirates threw ladders with hooks at the vessel and were soon on the ship. “There were two of them, both carrying pistols and a gun. The captain of the vessel asked all of us to assemble at the station area, from where the vessel is controlled. We got there and found him held at gunpoint. Soon, the big ship also came along and there were at least 25 pirates on that vessel carrying AK-47 assault rifles, pistols and rocket-propelled grenades. They asked all of us to sit together and make minimal movement or face death,” Prashant said.

In captivity, Prashant managed to speak to his family just twice, that too for a few seconds.

“We used to eat one meal a day and drink minimal water. It was important for us to store food and water. The pirates made us talk to our families as they wanted to send the message that we were alive but anything could happen. There was one negotiator who used to talk in English with our company. None of the pirates used to talk to us but assaulted us at times,” he said.

Prashant said he didn’t have any idea about the conditions of the release. “We have no clue. We heard on August 13 that Iranian commandos had raided the ship and the pirates had fled. The vessel was being guarded by soldiers. It all ended in a flash,” Prashant said.

But Prashant wants to continue sailing. “I am a professional sailor. A soldier doesn’t leave his business even after knowing the conditions and dangers. I will always remain a seaman. But for now, I want to stay with my family for a while,” he said.