India, July 17 -- Sheila Devi has one reason to be grateful for the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought her husband Lalit Yadav home-and this time, he stayed. For generations, migration has been a way of life in Maran, a village in Bihar's Madhubani district. Perched on the banks of the Kamla river, which flows from Nepal and floods the area almost every monsoon, the village offers little certainty. When the waters rise, many leave in search of work. After finishing high school, Yadav followed that familiar path. He moved to Bhiwandi in Maharashtra with his father, who worked in a textile mill, and learnt tailoring. His plan was simple: acquire a skill, find steady work and build a life in the city. The pandemic overturned those plans.

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