When Ryan International School reopened on 25 September after the gruesome murder of seven-year-old Pradyumn, most parents sent their children to school with mixed feelings. Some were relieved that the classes had resumed. The Parent-Teacher meeting on 23 September assured them that adequate safety measures had been taken.
For some, it took a lot more to send their wards back to school, with the trauma of the murder still fresh on the young minds.
But on 12 October, a little over a month after the murder, a sense of dread hit parents when their children didn’t return home at the usual time. I awaited the return of my nephew from school, and by 3:30 pm, I began to worry. I had no clue what the delay was and for someone who doesn’t get fazed very easily or panic at the drop of a hat, I had my moment of fear.