KANNUR: On the train ride with her father to Pune, Anamika's thoughts were not about the exam happening tomorrow, but about her mother Sheeja, who was injured in the missile attack in Israel. Anamika got a phone call from her mother on Friday night. She learned that her mother was injured in a Hamas missile attack on Saturday afternoon.

Despite being concerned about her mother's health, Anamika had to start her journey to Pune from her home in Payyavur, Kannur, on Sunday evening with her father, Anandan. The language proficiency test for nurse jobs in Germany is being held in Pune. The exam is tomorrow at 10 am. Anamika is praying for her mother every moment.

Sheeja Anandan, 41, is a caregiver who has been tending to an elderly woman for seven years in Ashkelon, southern Israel. That woman and her son were also injured in the shelling and their house was completely destroyed. Sheeja had made a video call to her sister Shiji and mother Sarojini on Saturday morning. The shelling took place around 12 noon Israel time. Sheeja was on a video call with her husband Anandan at that time. She asked about her daughter's exam preparation and her trip to Pune. Meanwhile, Sheeja shouted that she heard something. Then the phone hung up after a loud noise. Anandan called back but the call didn't go through. Anandan called many people in panic but could not get through. After some time, Sheeja's friends informed Anandan that Sheeja was admitted to the hospital.

Sheeja's spine is also injured

After the first stage of surgery, the hospital authorities showed Sheeja to her family over a video call. Sheeja said that she was fine. The only information that was known at that time was that her hand and leg were injured. It was only later that the family came to know that she needed another surgery for a spinal injury. Sheeja was transferred to another hospital in Tel Aviv because the hospital where she was first admitted to did not have access to specialist treatment.

Sarojini said her daughter told her on Saturday morning that she was feeling scared. Sheeja was about to come home after two months. Sheeja's second daughter Aavani is a nursing student in Andhra.

"When I think about Sheeja having to stay on the battlefield for treatment, I feel scared

-Anandan