Busy as he was, working day in and day out as a daily-wage labourer at a construction site, he wanted to save some money before returning to his village and see his son. He wanted to go back before Holi earlier this year, but an ongoing construction project put paid to his hopes. And when all activity suddenly stopped due to the lockdown from March 25, he was confined to his room, which he shared with others. As the lockdown was extended in the weeks to come, his roommates began to leave one after another and he found himself all alone, with no money to pay the monthly room rent of Rs 6,000. It was at this juncture that he came to know that his son was not keeping well. After receiving an SOS from his wife, he rushed out of his house, panic-stricken, intending to join the migrants who were out on the highways, marching to their respective states on foot.