For six months, 25-year-old Amala from Cherthala in Alappuzha lived between hospital corridors and her small home, waiting for a miracle. Her husband, Sreekanth (38), lay in a coma after his two-wheeler plunged into a pit dug up for a National Highway 66 construction project at Thuravoor. Pregnant with their second child, she endured those days with quiet resolve, believing that Sreekanth would one day come home, recognise her, and that their family of four would begin anew.

That fragile hope ended on January 12, when Sreekanth died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kottayam. Even in death, the family found no relief. Hospital bills at the Kottayam facility alone had crossed ₹11 lakh, with ₹6.2 lakh still unpaid. The hospital refused to release the body until part of the amount was settled. Amala’s brother-in-law Krishnachandran, husband of her sister Arya, managed to raise ₹2.5 lakh by pawning family gold. The body was released only after a written undertaking that the remaining amount would be paid by January 16.

Sreekanth, a sales executive at a private firm in Kochi, met with the accident on July 14, 2025. He was returning home to Kadakkarappally around 8.30 pm when his bike fell into the pit. Passersby rushed him to a private hospital in Kochi. “Amala was five months pregnant then. That itself was overwhelming for her,” said Krishnachandran, who works at a coir factory in Cherthala. “After the accident, Sreekanth slipped into a coma. Because of her condition, she couldn’t even visit the hospital regularly.”

Sreekanth remained in the Kochi hospital for nearly two months before being shifted to Kottayam for better physiotherapy care. By that time, the family had already spent at least ₹17 lakh, raised by selling land and gold. “The doctors were clear from the beginning that recovery would be difficult,” Krishnachandran said. “Still, we hoped that he might regain his memory.”

That hope faded after a recent surgery, when Sreekanth’s condition worsened. He developed breathing difficulties and was moved to the ICU. His blood pressure and sugar levels dropped sharply, and he passed away soon after. Post-mortem examination was conducted at Kottayam Medical College Hospital. The body was taken home on January 13, and funeral rites were held the same day.

“Sreekanth never got to hold his second child, Dhyan,” Krishnachandran said. “We took the baby to the hospital so he could at least see his child, but there was no response.” Amala was able to see her husband only three times after her delivery. By the end of it all, the family had spent over ₹35 lakh on Sreekanth’s treatment. No police complaint was filed following the accident. “We believed it was an accident and didn’t involve anyone else,” Krishnachandran said. “At that time, we had neither the strength nor the space to think about legal action. Everything revolved around hospital care.”

The family has little support. Sreekanth’s parents died before his marriage, and he has only an elder brother. Amala lost her mother years ago, and her father—an elderly plumber—is no longer able to work regularly. Managing Amala’s delivery was another struggle. “Sreekanth had saved money for it, but that too went into his treatment,” Krishnachandran said. “The private hospital where Amala delivered showed great compassion and reduced nearly 80 per cent of the bill. I managed the rest.” During this period, Krishnachandran was also caring for his one-year-old son, Krithik, who was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. Along with Arya, he took responsibility for Amala’s elder daughter, Daksha, before and after the delivery.

The family alleges that highway authorities never inquired into the accident. “We received no support or communication from them,” Krishnachandran said. Kadakkarappally panchayat member Mini said the local body had earlier collected around ₹4 lakh from villagers to support Sreekanth’s treatment and is now planning further assistance. “We are considering forming a committee to help the family,” she said. Mini recalled Sreekanth as someone who was always ready to help others. “When funds were raised for another patient in the village a few years ago, Sreekanth was at the forefront,” she said.

The family also lives in a small tiled-roof house with no proper access road. “It was very difficult to bring his body home,” Mini said. “They had planned to move him to Amala’s nearby house after discharge and even planned to build an attached bathroom there. He passed away before any of that could happen.” “If there had been no pit on that road, he would be alive today,” she said, adding that Arya and her family are now the only support for Amala and her two children.

Onmanorama reached out to the National Highway construction project director for a comment, but there was no response.