Vadodara: A year after the bridge collapse, the Padhiyar family has accepted a painful reality — they will never get to bid their son a final goodbye.Twenty-three-year-old Vikram Padhiyar remains the only victim whose body was never recovered from the Mahi River. Despite days of searches by multiple agencies, rescuers found only his mobile phone, lunch box and bag. The family eventually performed symbolic last rites, but the absence of his body continues to haunt them.“We kept hoping someone would find him. It took us a long time to accept that he was gone,” said his father, Ramesh.The tragedy left behind Vikram’s wife and their 9-month-old daughter. Following a family settlement, the child is now being raised by her mother, while Vikram’s parents continue to grapple with the emotional and financial fallout.Though the family received the compensation announced by the state govt, Ramesh says they are still awaiting Vikram’s employment-related dues from the private company where he worked. “We completed every formality and submitted every document they asked for. We are still awaiting the provident fund and other service benefits,” he said.“We accepted God’s will because we had no other choice. We only hope my son’s rightful dues are released.”
