Sneha Sree believes her dad has merely left them for a while

As 10-year-old Sneha Sree draws a picture brimming with innocence, those around her close in with a protective embrace. A glance in her direction would reveal a normal child, but a scar that runs across her face tells another, tragic story.

On October 18, a Tempo Traveller was making its way to Hosur. In it were 12 members of an extended family that lived in Raghavendra Colony, Chamarajpet.

They were returning from a pilgrimage to Madurai. At 12.45am, the tempo hit a stationary tipper. When the dust settled, seven of the family were dead... Sneha was one of those that survived, her father did not.

With her jaw broken in three places, Sneha spent more than 20 days undergoing surgery. Recently, with a monkey mask covering her scarred face, Sneha walked out of the house for the first time since the accident.

On Wednesday, a psychiatrist told Sneha’s mother, Ashwini, to tell Sneha about the death of her father. But Sneha refuses to believe that her father is dead. “He has merely left us for a while,” she says, “He’s still alive.”
He wants me to turn tennis player