UDUPI: A youth’s spontaneous effort to capture the emotional moment of reuniting with his mom after three years has gone viral, touching the hearts of millions. The incident took place when Rohith Kharvi,31, a salesperson in Dubai, was on an eight-day visit to his hometown in Gangolli.
He said, "I kept his visit a well-guarded secret." Upon landing at Mangaluru International Airport on September 5, Rohith discreetly arranged for his cousin Srujan to pick him up. He made his way home without alerting anyone, and surprised his father, Mahabala Chowki, as well as his brother and sister-in-law.
Rohith’s heart was set on seeing his mother, fully aware that she would be at the market, selling fish as usual. With a plan in mind, he hurried to the market to reconnect with his mother Sumithra. The touching moment that followed, captured in a video, has taken the internet by storm.
Rohith purchased a handkerchief that served as a mask to cover his face. He wore a cap and sunglasses. He met his cousin Ajay at Gangolli port, who was also taken by surprise. Rohith handed over his mobile phone to Ajay, instructing him to capture the precious moment when he reunited with his mother. With the handkerchief now covering his face, Rohith approached his mother, who was selling fish to a customer. He asked for 3kg of mackerel in Konkani. Despite casting a doubtful glance in his direction, his mother proceeded to pack the fish. Rohith tried to negotiate, suggesting rates like Rs 100 or Rs 150. It was during this conversation, that his mother recognized his voice. She reached out to remove his cap and the mask. She was surprised, and turned emotional, after which a crowd gathered and witnessed the heartwarming reunion.
Rohith admitted that he had momentarily forgotten about the video, thinking that he would edit it once he returned to Dubai. However, to his pleasant surprise, as soon as he posted the video on his Instagram account five days ago, it was Raghavendra Poojary who uploaded the video to his WhatsApp status.
"From here it went viral, and then my neighbour Ramesh Kharvi, a social worker, shared it on his Facebook account. The video gained traction, and was shared on various social media platforms. People even put it up as their WhatsApp Status. The video recorded 1.1 million views on Ramesh’s Facebook page alone. People who know me have been calling and requesting to see the continuation of the video," Rohith said. However, he said that his cousin had only recorded that particular portion of their reunion, because the aim was to capture memories.
Having spent around six years in Dubai, Rohith never anticipated that his reunion video with his mother would touch so many lives on social media.
