Sheila, 45, from Belgium, has been coming to Bihar for five years to find her family.

Every year, from October to Chhath, she stays in Bihar to try to find her parents and family. She says that now everyone in Bihar seems like her parents. Savita, Patna
Forty-five-year-old Sheila from Belgium has been coming to India for the past five years in search of her estranged parents. Every year, she spends Diwali and Chhath in Bihar, searching for a family with her parents. Every year, someone appears as a family member, but their joy turns to despair when the DNA test is conducted. After the DNA test, the search begins again. She runs from office to office, from adoption agency to organization. Yet, she remains resolute. She says that now everyone in Bihar resembles her parents.Sheela was separated from her family in 1981. She wandered to Patna. The police kept her in a priest's mansion. The priest's mansion housed the state's first adoption agency. At that time, it was only known that she was from Muzaffarpur. From there, Sheela was adopted by a Belgian couple. She says that people there taunted her because of her appearance. Friends would say she was from outside. These words always hurt her. Her adoptive parents educated her well, and she grew up to become a teacher. She is married to a local businessman. Her husband's name is Avin. She has three children. Whenever she comes to Patna, she brings her childhood photo with her. She identifies people by showing them her childhood photo.Sheela has been connected to Indian culture and festivals. Sheela explains that although she grew up abroad, Indian culture and its festivals always felt like her own. She enjoyed interacting with and being with Indian people in Belgium. She learned about the significance of Chhath through social media. She came to Patna with her children to celebrate Diwali and Chhath. In 2022, she found her parents, but the DNA test didn't match.
Sheela was overjoyed on the 2022 Chhath festival. After three years of searching, she finally found her parents in the form of the late Toofani Paswan of Chamrua, Mansoorpur, Muzaffarpur. Her parents had passed away, but she met her brother and sisters. Their families also embraced them. However, the DNA didn't match, and she returned to Belgium disappointed.