A deeply moving video shared by an Indian man living in the United States has gone viral, shedding light on the loneliness faced by many elderly people abroad. In the now-viral clip, he opened up about the death of his 80-year-old neighbour, who passed away alone in his apartment.
‘He had no one…’: Indian man shares heartbreaking experience
The video was posted on Instagram by Sachin Sindhu, who began by saying, "I want to share something very painful with you all." He recounted how his elderly neighbour, Shafar, had been living alone for years without family around. "In the apartment near my house lived a very dear friend of mine named Shafar. He was 80 years old. Here, he didn’t have anyone — no wife, no children living with him. I was probably the only one who knew him well," Sachin said in the emotional clip.
Check out the video below:
Sachin then explained how he became worried after not hearing from Shafar the entire day. "A whole day went by without hearing from him; no calls since morning. Around 8 p.m., I used the spare keys I had and went into his house," he continued. "When I entered his bedroom, I saw his lifeless body lying on the bed. I immediately called 911. The police arrived, began their investigation, and later declared him dead."
‘No family culture here'
Expressing his sadness, Sachin reflected on what he sees as one of the biggest cultural differences between India and the US. "One thing I really dislike about the USA is that there’s no real sense of family culture here. Parents don’t want to live with their children, and children don’t want to stay with their parents,” he said. "In India, we take care of our elders and stay connected with them, but that culture doesn’t exist here. That’s why many elderly people end up living and dying in isolation."
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He also shared that he offered to take responsibility for Shafar’s funeral if no one came forward, saying, "I’ve already told the police that if no one comes for him by tomorrow, I’ll take care of his funeral myself."
Internet reacts
The clip, captioned “This is also the sad reality of the USA,” has gone viral across social media platforms, gathering thousands of comments. Many users expressed grief and empathy for both Sachin and the deceased man. One person wrote, “It’s a very heartbreaking situation, my friend.” Another added, “They may have all the facilities, but family, relatives, and genuine friends are also essential for living.”
