A Long Way Home

The television program 60 Minutes proposes introducing Kamla and Mum on camera as part of a piece on Saroo’s experiences. Saroo wonders if Mum might feel threatened meeting Kamla, or if Kamla might find it impossible to connect with Mum. However, Saroo feels that time stands still as his mothers embrace, tears in their eyes. The joy and love don’t require much translation.

Saroo explains that he does what he can to help Kamla, including paying her rent and buying food. Now, he has dual citizenship and can buy property in India, so he’s looking to buy her a better home in Ganesh Talai. He, Kallu, and Shekila have found a place, but the paperwork takes time. Saroo says he’s also dedicating time to helping Mrs. Sood. He’s providing money for repairs on the Nava Jeevan orphanage, and he wants to help other children who might be in a situation like he was.

Saroo says that his desires for himself are less clear. He still thinks of himself as Australian; he just wanted to know where he came from, better understand his past, and let his family know he’s okay. He insists that finding his family in India has simply given him two families, not two identities, though visiting India has certainly enriched his life. He admires the importance that Kallu and Shekila place on family, and he wonders if Westerners have lost something through the Western focus on individualism. He says that he’s not religious, but he’s interested in exploring some of his Indian family’s beliefs and seeing if they help him at all. Saroo is also happy to help his niece and nephews have a better life.

Saroo says that had he not gotten lost, his life would certainly be very different. However, he believes that his experiences have provided him with amazing faith in the importance of family, a belief in the goodness of people, and the importance of taking opportunities. He feels as though there’s certainly an element of destiny in how things played out. He knows too that Mum and Dad wouldn’t wish that their lives had gone any differently, and he explains that he’s extremely grateful for all they’ve done. Saroo’s success has also inspired Mantosh to search for his birth mother.

Saroo thinks back on his process of discovering Khandwa via Google Earth. He realizes he could’ve done things differently and found what he was looking for much faster, but he understands that he did the best he knew how at the time. He thinks he has no regrets about how things transpired, except for Guddu’s death, and he’s constantly shocked by the fortuitous twists, turns, and coincidences that led him to the Brierleys and then back to Kamla. He believes everything was meant to happen just as it did.