Inspired by the boy wizard’s decision to leave his oppressive guardian’s house, Yoginder fled his own parents’ home after his father slapped him.
Yoginder Bhatt, 14, is an average student and die-hard Harry Potter fan. Inspired by the boy wizard’s decision to leave his oppressive guardian’s house, Yoginder fled his own parents’ home in Surat after his father slapped him.
With a bagful of clothes and just Rs200 in his pocket, Yoginder thought he had it all figured out. He would come to Mumbai, complete his education, and then go to France to become a computer engineer. What he did not know was how to execute his plan.
On Monday night, the boy was found wandering at Churchgate station by a few collegians. They took him to Shelter Don Bosco in Worli and reunited him with his family the next day.
“I had been thinking of running away from quite some time,” said the Std X student. “My father always pressures me to perform well in school.”
Yoginder said he had scored 75% in Std VIII. But his father was very disappointed when he got only 60% in Std IX. “Since then he only wants me to study all the time. So I decided to come to Mumbai and then pursue my dream of going to France.
“I left my house on Monday evening. At Surat station, I asked a man to buy me a ticket,” he said.
On reaching Virar, Yoginder boarded a local train and reached Churchgate at about 1am.
“Within 10 minutes I was lost. When I spotted a few boys having tea outside the station, I asked them for help,” the boy said.
One of the boys took him to Father William Falcao, director of the Shelter Don Bosco, and a social worker. Bhatt initially introduced himself as Daniel Solomon. “I had a teacher called Solomon. And since Daniel Radcliffe plays Harry Potter in the films, I came up with the name Daniel Solomon,” Yoginder explained.
On Tuesday morning, Father William got in touch with Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy School, where Yoginder claimed to have studied. He then got in touch with the boy’s parents.
Yoginder broke down when he saw his father and uncle at the shelter later in the evening. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he spoke to his mother on the phone. “I am coming home and I will never run away again,” he told her.
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