Separated at childhood, siblings reunited by grandfather
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 04 2020: Two siblings, a girl and a boy, who were separated when they were seven and five years old respectively, were reunited by their grandfather Heisnam Lukhoi yesterday, on the day of their grandmother's last rites.

The girl Ngangbam Ranibala and the boy, Ngangbam Johnson, had no knowledge of any surviving siblings as no one in the family had told them the truth till the time they met.

Heisnam Lukhoi (73) of Singjamei Chingamakha Kshetri Leikai and his late wife Heisnam Memsana had four children out of which two sons and a daughter died.

Their daughter Heisnam Rina married to one Ngangbam Jayenta of Thangmeiband Yumnam Leikai and had Ngangbam Ranibala and Ngangbam Johnson as their children.

Speaking to The Sangai Express about his grandchildren, Heisnam Lukhoi said that his son in law Jayenta passed away after Ranibala and Johnson were born.

Lukhoi narrated that his daughter stayed at her marital home after her husband passed away and it was then that the family members of late Jayenta took only Johnson to Thangmeiband, when he was five years old.

Even though every possible steps were taken to keep the siblings together at that time, the family of late Jayenta filed a case and kept Johnson with them, said Lukhoi.

Now, Ranibala is 17 years old and will be appearing her class 10 examination while Johnson is around 15 years of age.

The grandfather admitted that he did not try to open up old wounds by telling his granddaughter Ranibala the truth.

Meanwhile, Heisnam Rina remarried to a man at Lilong in 2006 and now has three sons and a girl.

Following the turn of events, Heisnam Lukhoi looked after his granddaughter like his own daughter and changed the family name from Ngangbam to Heisnam.

Working towards the reunion of the siblings, Lukhoi did everything he could to arrange a meeting between Ranibala and Johnson, with the help of some people.

It was only yesterday, when one of the ceremonies of Lukhoi's wife was carried out (Ashti) that the two siblings met each other face to face for the first time after such a long period.

The grandfather then told them the true story of what happened in the family and how they got separated.

Lukhoi told The Sangai Express that he had planed to reunite them so that he could provide his properties to them and also to his other grandchildren.

Ranibala said that she could not believe the story when her grandfather opened up about having a brother and that she was shocked at actually meeting her brother.

On the other hand, Johnson expressed happiness and said that it was an overwhelming experience.

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