Everything about Geeta, the Indian daughter ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ helped bring home from Pakistan

Geeta, a 23-year-old Indian girl, returned to her home country today, after 15 years in Pakistan. Geeta’s story is unique, touching, exhilarating and also to add, a tad bit controversial. Inspite of all this, it still is a classic story of victory of will and a consequence of peace.

Geeta, strayed away from her family at the age of 11 and crossed the border on the Samjautha Express, that headed towards Pakistan. Found sitting alone, by the Pakistan Rangers, she was taken to a charity foundation in Lahore.Thus, began the story of the real life Shahida, who Bajrangi Bhaijaan and many others will help bring home.

Read on to know what happened to this young girl who made it to Pakistan and back, successfully, all by herself:

1. Geeta, both deaf and mute, strayed away from her parents at Kartarpur near Jalandhar, where she had gone to visit the ‘Baisakhi Mela’ in 2003.

2. Her original name is being claimed to be Heera by the one of the families that has identified her. She was apparently also named Fatima, before finally being given the name Geeta by Bilquis Edhi, one of the founders of Edhi Foundation, the charity organization that looked after her.

 3. She was named Geeta after Edhi saw that she gestured with a pranam when greeted and touched the latter’s feet on meeting her.

 4. Geeta, when staying in Pakistan,  had the pictures of Hindu deities at home. But eventually she also began fasting for and observing Muslim festivals.

 5. She is a strict vegetarian and remained that way all the years in Pakistan.

 6. The Edhi foundation, in various branches of which Geeta has stayed, contacted the Indian High Commission in 2011 to help her find her family, but nothing really happened and the case returned to oblivion.

 7. It has also been reported that Geeta was asked to start a new life with a Hindu boy in Pakistan if the return to India didn’t take place, which she refused to do.

8. In 2015, after the release of the super-hit Salman Khan starrer Bhajrangi Bhaijaan, Geeta’s case was brought back to the limelight, as a reverse scenario. (In the movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan helps take a Muslim girl back to Pakistan.)

 9. Salman Khan is also said to have helped the Government in bringing the girl back to India, safe and healthy.

 10. With members of the Edhi Foundation, and after many talks between both Pakistani and Indian authories, Geeta returned today to a warm welcome in India.

 11. 4 families have claimed her, after which the Indian Government decided to hand her over to her family only after a DNA test.

12.  Geeta too identified one of these families as her own when the Indian Commission in Islamabad showed her a picture of them.

 13. When asked where she lived, Geeta pointed at both Karnataka and Uttarakhand at different times, on a map.

14. Geeta, if found not to be related to any of these families, will be handed over to a charity house in India.

Well, whatever are the details to follow, Geeta’s story is sure an inspiration, which shows it is not impossible to stand one’s ground despite seeming difficulties. And people responsible for her care in Pakistan have showed the world that peace and love triumphs over History.

We welcome back India’s daughter with a lot of happiness and warmth!

Also read:

A burka-clad lady fights for girls’ education. Meet the Burka Avenger!