Lucknow: What was meant to be a homecoming filled with laughter and rituals turned into a day of unbearable grief in Gorakhpur, where three funeral pyres burned on Sunday side by side— a father, a mother, and their son, taken together in a single, devastating moment — besides the burial of a pet dog, no less than a member of the family.Vinay Srivastava, 53, a schoolteacher known for his quiet discipline, his wife Archana, 48, the emotional anchor of the household, and their 27-year-old son Kritarth were returning from a joyous milestone — their daughter Mimansa’s wedding — when fate wiped out the entire family in a road accident.But among the human loss, there was another absence that deepened the silence at home. Rudra, the family’s pet dog, was gone too.Not just a pet, Rudra had been woven into the family’s identity — so much so that his name appeared on Mimansa’s wedding invitation as a “welcoming member” of the household.In photographs from the ceremony days earlier, he lingered around the decorated courtyard, an unnoticed but constant presence in moments of joy.The daughter who had left home as a bride returned as the lone survivor of her immediate family’s world. Instead of preparing for her ‘pagphere’, she found herself performing last rites — and quietly, personally, bidding farewell to Rudra.She chose a spot near home, dug the earth herself, and laid him to rest — a gesture that spoke of a bond words could not carry.According to police, the accident occurred in the early hours of April 25 on a highway near Mau. The SUV carrying the family reportedly veered across the divider after the driver dozed off, colliding head-on with a speeding trailer. The impact crushed the vehicle, leaving no chance of survival for the five occupants, including two hired drivers.The tragedy has also cast a shadow on what was to be another celebration. Priyanshu, who performed the last rites, was to be married on May 7.
