The evening of July 21 was just another day for the little boys of Haldaheri village. The boys were in the habit of catching little mice and tying strings to their tails. They then followed it wherever it went. They clapped and cheered and pulled back the mice and then let it go again.
One mouse broke loose. While the other children let it go Prince decided to give it chase. The moment he stepped on a hole partially covered with sand bags, he lost control and slipped down a 2-feet-wide hole that had been dug up to set up a hand pump.
"Baba gaddhe main gir gaya, (Baba has fallen into a pit)" the boys shouted. Within minutes the whole village crowded in to see the child sitting helplessly in a pit that was 55 feet deep and looking for help from his parents and others.
"I nearly fainted when I heard that my elder son Baba had fallen into the pit. I cried for help and ran to the nearest Gurdwara a few metres away from my house and prayed to Wahe Guru to protect my son and I also lit the jot of Mata Rani.
"The villagers were all there to lend us a helping hand and I am thankful to everyone who helped me and my family get back my son," Kamaljit Kaur, mother of Prince told rediff.com at the district hospital in Kurukshetra where Prince is undergoing treatment.
Ram Chander, a farm labourer, left his duty on the tubewell and ran to the rescue of his son when he heard that his son had fallen into the deep pit. But there was very little that he could do.
For fifty hours he watched his son looking towards him.
"I am thankful to the Indian army, district authorities, people of my village and all those who helped bring my son back," he said as he wiped tears from his face and rushed back to his son who would not stay with anyone but his father.
The couple has three children; one daughter (the eldest) and two sons.
"My second son is younger to Baba," Kamaljit said. Her house was totally unattended. But she did not care. Her son was back with her and that is what mattered to her more than anything else.
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