Nadukattupatti, the village in Manapparai block where a two-year-old boy fell in a borewell hole and died seems untouched by time. The fields are lush and rows of maize are ready for harvest. Amid the green lies a small area of grey- encased in concrete, where there used to be a borewell, into which two-year-old Sujith Wilson fell on October 25, 2019 and later died.

“My son has not left us. He is with me in spirit and I feel him here often. Since he died, I have rarely left the house as I do not want to leave him here alone,” said Kala Mary, Sujith’s mother. In between sobs, Ms. Mary said that the five days when they fought to save her son were the worst part of her life. “I do not wish it upon my worst enemies. My son yearned for me and I was not able to reach him.”

Sujith’s older brother Punith Roshan, who is now old enough to go to first standard, believes that his brother lives under the concrete, said Ms. Mary. “If anyone visits our home, he first takes them to the concrete spot and shows it to them. He did not ask us any questions about where his baby brother went. He has lost his playmate and now usually spends time on his own,” she wept.