Conjoined twins Veena-Vani shrug off 17-yr desertion, step into Mahabubabad home

MAHABUBABAD: Veena-Vani, the twins, conjoined at birth and separated from family by a quirk of cruel fate, set their foot in their original home in Mahabubabad district on Thursday, for the first time since their birth.

It was a moment of mixed emotions for the twins who were besieged by a flood of relatives upon their arrival at the house of their biological parents in Beerisettygudem of Danthalapally mandal: Ironically, it was their first home-coming in their 17 years of existence. The two girls, who have been leading an abnormal and painful life due to their 'conjoining at the head' condition, medically known as 'craniopagus', were greeted and well-received by their near and dear besides the curious villagers. The two girls, helped by their guardians, attracted visitors in hordes.

Most of the villagers were hit with momentary sadness seeing their plight. Some were even moved to tears. But they were all truly happy, seeing Veena-Vani in their midst. More importantly, the awe-inspiring story of the two girls, filled with resilience and a remarkable fight against destiny to triumph over a crippling disadvantage, was not lost on the people who came to greet them.

Veena-Vani were born to Maragani Lakshmi and Murali in 2003 in Mahabubabad. The couple abandoned the 'destiny's kids' due to their inability to afford their treatment. Besides poverty, lack of awareness and the fear of social stigma too played on their mind. For the next 12 years, Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad became the home where the two girls were raised by the hospital nannies.

Later, the girls were shifted to the State Home in Hyderabad where they began scripting their tale of 'defiance'. Shrugging off their deformity and the complexities involved in their daily life, the two girls surprised everyone with their passion for studies when they appeared for the Intermediate examinations and aced it with distinction. Currently, Veena-Vani are studying the first year of their Bachelors.

The girls bore no hard feelings over their abandonment. On the contrary, they expressed their joy on arriving at their original home and meeting their parents, who, until not so long ago, were reluctant to meet them.