Grieving relatives and family members at the Madar residence.
VASCO
On Saturday morning, a mother in New Vaddem woke up before dawn to fulfill a simple request from her children.
The three brothers were excited about a picnic with friends and had asked her to prepare chicken for the journey. Though reluctant to let them travel so far, she eventually gave in to their repeated requests.
Despite the family's modest means, she purchased the ingredients, cooked the meal and packed it for her sons before they left home.
A few hours later, instead of welcoming them back for lunch as promised, the family received the devastating news that all three had drowned at Kulem.
Among the four youths who lost their lives in the tragedy were brothers Hiranna Madar (21),and twins Ramanna Madar (19) and Laxman Madar (19) of New Vaddem.
Few tragedies can compare to the pain of losing a child. For the Madar family of New Vaddem, that pain arrived threefold on Saturday after the three brothers drowned in the waters at Metawada in Kulem, leaving behind a grief too profound for words.
In a single afternoon, the Madar family lost three sons, leaving behind a grief that has shaken the entire locality.
Neighbours described scenes of anguish as relatives and residents gathered outside the family's residence after news of the tragedy spread. The cries of the parents echoed through the neighbourhood as they struggled to come to terms with a loss few can imagine.
The brothers had left home together before sunrise, walking towards Vasco railway station with plans of spending a carefree day with friends before the new academic year began. They assured their mother they would return home by the afternoon train.
That promise was never fulfilled.
Hiranna, the eldest brother, had already begun supporting the family and was employed as a waiter at a prominent hotel in Vasco. The younger brothers, Ramanna and Laxman, were twins pursuing their college education and were preparing to resume classes on Monday.
Residents said the twins were quiet and reserved youngsters who rarely went out with friends. Their decision to join the picnic was unusual, making the tragedy even harder for neighbours to accept.
The family, originally from Bagalkot in Karnataka, has built its life in New Vaddem through years of hard work. Their father earns a living as a mason, while their mother works as a housemaid. Together, they raised their children with hopes of seeing them secure a better future.
Today, those dreams lie shattered.
Inside the family's modest home remain painful reminders of lives cut short — beds that will never again be occupied by the three brothers, clothes left behind in a hurry before the outing, college books waiting to be reopened on Monday, and a mother's food packed with love for a journey from which her sons would never return.
Local ward councillor Yatin Kamurlekar said the tragedy has left the entire locality grieving.
"The boys promised their mother they would return home by afternoon. She was initially hesitant to allow them to go but eventually agreed after they insisted. She woke up early, prepared food for them and sent them off with blessings. No parent can imagine that the same children would never return home," he said.
As New Vaddem prepares for the brothers' final rites, residents continue to speak about the cruel twist of fate that struck a hardworking family. A picnic meant to create memories before the start of a new academic year instead left behind three unfinished lives, countless unfulfilled dreams and a home that has fallen silent overnight
In a town shaken by the drowning of four youths, it is the sorrow of one family that has come to symbolise the scale of the tragedy — a home that woke up to the promise of an ordinary Saturday and ended the day mourning the loss of three sons.
