For the 68-year-old Bainsla the whole thing started way back in 1991, when he retired from the Army and returned to Karauli. An English schoolteacher, Bainsla joined the Army as a sepoy. He rose through the ranks to join the officer cadre and retired as a Lt Col. In an unblemished Army career, he served in both the 1965 and 1971 wars.

“He often talks about the sorrow that fills his heart each time he sees women in his region dying on their way to hospital,” says Lajpat Singh.

Bainsla’s family says he “always wanted to give back to the community”. They also call him a caring father who ensured that wherever he was posted, his children went to the best schools. “He wanted to give his children a good education to show people how important it was,” says a close relative.

Following their father’s footsteps, sons Daulat Singh and Jai Singh joined the Army. Both are colonels now. Younger son Vijay works for a telecom company while daughter Sunita is an Income Tax official based in Delhi.

Since his wife, who was the sarpanch of Mundiya village in Karauli, died, Bainsala has been living with his Man Friday, Guman, in Hindon City. Refusing “the comfort” of his children’s homes, Bainsla often reiterates that he is most at home here.

It is Guman that the children have turned to the past week for reassurances as their father remained out of reach.