Five-year-old Sanju Yadav of Laukaha in Rautahat district still hopes that her father, mother, grandfather and sister will return home.

She believes that her father Chandra Kishor Yadav, grandmother, mother and sister have gone to Gaur to buy a younger brother for her. She has no knowledge that her father and mother have died.

Sanju time and again comes out of her roadside house thinking that she will see her father, mother and sister somewhere on the road.

Sanju's grandfather Ram Sebak Yadav, 58, also a professor at Brahmajyoti Higher Secondary School, said that she repeatedly asks him with tear-stained eyes when her father will return home with a brother.

Sanju’s father and mother had told her that they would bring her a brother from market. However, Sanju is unaware that her dream has been shattered by the tragedy that struck her family.

Her father was also a teacher at the Brahmajyoti Higher Secondary School.

Grief-stricken Ram Sebak has a responsibility of conducting the last rites of his son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter and wife at this old age.

A pall of gloom has enveloped the entire village after the death of Ram Sabek’s family members.

“Chandra Kishor was a gentle and hard working person,” said his neighour Dipendra Yadav.

It is learnt that Chandra Kishor’s wife was pregnant and her due date was just 23 days away.

Sanju’s father and sister had gone to a health centre at around 4 am after her mother complained of labour pain, but they never returned.

Her uncle’s son Rajan and a jeep driver Sambhu Yadav managed to live as they were sitting on the front seat of the vehicle. The four-wheeler was swept away by the floods.

Police personnel had reached the incident site after they heard the screaming, but they could not venture into the river as the water level was high.