The relatives of 27-year-old Tapendra Thage Singh Luhar, one of the victims of the Himalaya Bridge collapse, had to pool in money so that Luhar's last rites could be performed. A resident of Nepal, Luhar had come to Mumbai around a decade ago with a dream to provide education to his three-year-old daughter Tanishka. His dream will now be fulfilled by Luhar's younger brother Sunil, whose monthly income is hardly Rs 5,000-6,000, which is almost the rent the family pays for a shanty in Wadala west. Luhar, a divorcee, worked as an office boy in a firm in Kalbadevi. He took care of his mother, sisters, and his daughter. "Sunil does not earn a lot. We are their relatives and came together to pool in money for the last rites," Pushpak Lohar, a cousin of the deceased, said. On Thursday, when Luhar, who would normally return home by 8 pm didn't turn up, his relatives started searching for him. After quite some time, they came to know of his death via news channels that were flashing the names of the deceased after the Mumbai Bridge Collapse. Luhar shifted to Mumbai after his father's demise. After finding work, he got his mother and wife to live with him. "After Tanishka's birth, his wife left and sought divorce. Since then, Luhar has dedicated his life to this family. He had big dreams for the daughter, wanted to teach her, and had even enrolled her into a play school," said Rupa Krishna Singh, Luhar's cousin. Luhar would get up early, visit nearby buildings to wash people's cars. Later, he would go to work and after his return, would do odd jobs. According to his kin, Luhar was saving up for his daughter's education. The daughter, unaware of her father's demise, proudly said she goes to a play school. Luhar's younger brother Sunil works at a Chinese restaurant in Matunga. He doesn't know how to run the family singlehandedly. He expects help from the government. Another relative said that the government should sponsor the daughter's education until she graduates. HINGE ON HOPE

Stay updated with all the Mumbai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.