For 13 days, S Reshma has been living in an agonising limbo at her home at Neendakara in Kerala's Kollam district. After a tragic fishing boat capsize took the lives of her father, U Rajeevan, and husband, Radhakrishnan, she now waits for any news of her missing son, Gautam Krishna. Despite pleas from her relatives, Reshma has refused solid food since the day of the accident. While ministers and political leaders continue to visit her home to offer condolences, her voice breaks with tears as she asks them for the one thing she wants back: her son.
When asked if she has raised more demands with the government regarding the search operations, Reshma says she is satisfied with the current efforts of the Navy and the Coast Guard. "I just want to see my son again. That is all I need the government to do for me," she says, adding that the District Collector visits daily to update her on the progress of the search.

Reshma’s grief was initially mixed with anger, leading her to protest outside the local police station. Explaining her frustration, she points out that search and rescue operations did not start during the critical first few hours. "For the first three days, there was no active, meaningful search. That is what forced us to raise our voice and protest," she says.
The tragedy has also left the family financially devastated. "We sold our house just to buy this fishing boat," Reshma says. "Now I have nowhere to sleep. I lost my father, my husband, and I have no news about my son. I do not know how I will live from here on." She has requested the Fisheries Minister to secure a job for her younger son and help clear their outstanding debts, holding onto hope that the government will support them.

Reshma urges the government to establish prompt emergency response mechanisms for fishermen at sea. "There must be functional rescue systems available immediately when an accident occurs," she says. "If those crucial golden hours are lost, no amount of late intervention can heal the pain of a grieving family."