Udai, who hails from Purnia district in Bihar, worked as a rickshaw puller in New Delhi for about ten years. During the nationwide lockdown, he had to spend all his savings and had no job. Losing all hopes, he decided to leave with his family. On 15th May, 2019 when I met him on the outskirts of Bareilly, he had been pulling his rickshaw for more than 24 hours. His wife and a kid were accompanied by another family who were their neighbours in Delhi. The rickshaw was now their mobile home until they reached Purnia, which probably took them another four or five days and Udai was sure that he would have to take up a job as labourer back home and there was no chance of him going back to New Delhi.
