After losing his sons, Mumbai man sleeps in auto to provide for his family

He lost both his sons sold his house to pay for his granddaughterrsquos education slept in an auto but Desrajrsquos courage remains undauntedAfter his heartwrenching story was shared by lsquoHumans of Bombayrsquo help has been pouring in for the Mumbaibased autorickshaw driverIn his interview with Humans of Bombay Desraj revealed that after losing both his sons it was the responsibility of providing for his grandchildren and daughtersinlaw that gave him the strength to keep goingSix years ago my eldest son disappeared from home He left for work as usual but never returned said Desraj who plies his auto near KharHis 40yearold sons body was found a week later A part of me died with him but burdened by responsibilities I didnt even have the time to mourn the next day I was back on the road driving my auto he saidTwo years later he lost his other son to suicideIt was the responsibility of my daughterinlaw and their four children that kept me going said DesrajTo earn for the family he started working longer hours leaving home at 6 am and driving his auto till midnight to earn around Rs 10000 a month Of this amount Rs 6000 went into paying for the education of his grandchildren leaving Rs 4000 to feed a family of sevenOn most days wed barely have anything to eat added DesrajHowever he said everything was worth it when his granddaughter scored 80 per cent in her Class 12 Board Exams The whole day he gave free rides to customers to celebrate her achievementBut when his granddaughter said that she wanted to travel to Delhi for a BEd course Desraj knew he wouldnt be able to afford itI had to fulfill her dreams at any cost So I sold our house and paid her fee he saidDesrajs wife daughtersinlaw and other grandchildren were sent to a relatives home in their village while he continues to drive his auto in MumbaiIts been a year now and honestly lifes not badI eat and sleep in my auto and during the day I ferry my passengers he saidEvidently a proud grandfather he said all his pains vanish when his granddaughter called him to tell she stood first in her classI cant wait for her to become a teacher Shes going to be the first graduate in our family he saidDesrajrsquos story touched hearts on social media and many offered to help himHave a lump in my throat as I read this Such remarkable devotion and responsibility towards his family at his age and such overwhelming generosity in offering free rides despite his economic condition wrote one person in the comments sectionI would love to donate to help him financially another saidA Facebook user named Gunjan Ratti started a fundraiser for Desraj which has raised more than Rs 53 lakh from 276 donorsDesraj is a Auto driver on streets of Mumbai His 2 sons hv died in accident amp suicide He drives frm 6am in th morn to 10 pm to earn Rs10000 month You cn find him at Khar Danda naka Auto no 160 His no is 08657681857 We need to reach out to help RT pl amp Mumbaikars pl help pictwittercom5zAm9TtgT5mdash Archana Dalmia ArchanaDalmia February 11 2021The story was also posted on Twitter by the Congresss Archana Dalmia and retweeted by Milind Deora Dalmia shared the auto drivers phone number and appealed to Mumbaikars to help him