Soldier’s mother prays for son’s safe return

Jharsuguda : While families across India celebrated Mother's Day with flowers and gifts, for Lekhimaya Thapa (45), the day was one of quiet prayer and anxious hope. A resident of Jharsuguda, Lekhimaya is the mother of Vikram Thapa, a 27-year-old soldier serving on the frontlines in Jammu & Kashmir with the Gorkha Regiment. "Mother's Day might mean gifts and hugs. For me, it means one silent prayer and the hope of a phone call from my son," she said.