Siddipet Woman Lakshmi Receives Husband Boddu Chandraiah's Body From Dubai

A 44-year wait for a reunion ended in tragedy for 65-year-old Lakshmi when the body of her husband, Boddu Chandraiah, was returned to Hyderabad on Wednesday after he died in Dubai. Chandraiah, who was 70 years old, had migrated from Chellapur in the Dubbak mandal of Siddipet district to Dubai more than four decades ago in search of a livelihood.

Chandraiah and Lakshmi married approximately 46 years ago. Seeking to earn money to support his family, Chandraiah migrated to Dubai 44 years ago, intending to return after a few years. The couple had no children at the time of his departure.

Within a couple of years of his relocation, the family lost all contact with Chandraiah. Despite receiving no financial support or communication, Lakshmi remained at her husband's home in Chellapur. She worked as a daily wage laborer to sustain herself and care for Chandraiah's family.

Over the decades, Lakshmi took on the responsibility of caring for her husband's parents, eventually performing their funerals when they passed away. She also performed the funerals for Chandraiah's younger brother and sister, who both died during his absence. Throughout this time, Lakshmi continued to ask people returning from Dubai for any information regarding her husband's whereabouts.

The long wait ended when Lakshmi received a phone call from the Indian embassy a week ago. Embassy officials informed her that Chandraiah had died on May 27, and his body was lying in a local hospital in Dubai. It took the embassy several days to track his details and locate Lakshmi in Telangana.

Chandraiah's body was flown to Hyderabad on Wednesday. Following the arrival of his remains, family members and villagers performed his funeral in Chellapur. Lakshmi, who currently survives on a monthly old-age pension of Rs 2,000, expressed her grief at being left alone after holding onto hope for so many years.