Mystery mute Indian girl who became Bollywood favourite returns home

A deaf-mute Indian girl stranded in Pakistan for 13 years after wandering over one of the world’s most militarised borders arrived home on Monday to be reunited with the family she has identified from photographs. The story of Geeta, a Hindu woman in her early 20s, has captivated people on both sides of the border and Bollywood. The Indian government vowed to bring her home, and authorities turned up many families saying that Geeta could be their daughter. She claimed to recognise one unnamed family from Bihar state, and has kept their framed picture in a steel case ever since.

We are not parting, we could go there to see her and she could come here.

Faisal Edhi

Geeta and her family will now undergo DNA tests to prove - or otherwise - she is the daughter they lost. She has remained in Pakistan under the care of the country’s largest welfare organisation, the Edhi Foundation, living in a shelter in the port city of Karachi. After repeated false leads in the effort to find her family, Geeta’s story received a publicity boost in August when a Bollywood film with a similar plot became a smash hit. "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", featuring Indian superstars Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor, told the story of a young Pakistani woman trapped in India.

I don’t care about how many tests they want, if she embraces me that will be the biggest test for me.

Geeta’s father, Janardhan Mahato

Geeta Asia-Pacific