Family members of a Rotorua man who drowned in Australia last week are in a state of uncertainty as they try to get his body back to India.
Maria Emelyanova spoke exclusively to the Rotorua Daily Post about the "horrible" loss of her friend and former flatmate Harman Walia.
He and his wife Kirtika were on holiday, visiting friends, when the 27-year-old hit his head and drowned in a rock pool in Grampians National Park, Victoria, at 5pm on Boxing Day.
Australian Senior Constable Alistair Parsons said a witness entered the water and attempted to rescue Walia, but was unable to reach him.
It took eight hours for a search and rescue team to get Walia's body out of MacKenzie Falls.
The Walias moved to Rotorua from Auckland in August 2017 and began flatting with Emelyanova.
Rotorua woman, and friend of Harman and Kirtika Walia, Maria Emelyanova. Photo / Supplied
Maria Emelyanova told the Rotorua Daily Post"if I ever was asked to give an example of unconditional love, I would say it was Kithika and Harman".
"They were just like one. Inseparable. When he was away for one month, visiting his sick mother in India, I could see a deep longing in her eyes, she was counting every day for him to come back."
She said they "had been in love since they were kids" but moved to New Zealand because they came from different religions, Sikh and Hindu, and struggled to marry in India.
"He had a kind heart... He worked hard, sometimes 12 hours a day, doing more than one job to support his mother in India. At the same time, he always looked happy and cheerful and loved to invite friends for a Saturday garage party and vegetarian barbecue."
The Walias were photographed by the Rotorua Daily Post at the Mudtopia festival last year and appeared on the front page.
"They kept it in a frame in the lounge because they were so proud," Emelyanova said.
Kirtika Walia, left, and Harman Walia on the front page after Mudtopia in Rotorua in December 2017. Image / File
Walia loved animals and hoped to one day have a pet lizard.
Emelyanova said, "he volunteered at the SPCA and worked at the Agrodome on the weekends" the outside of his full-time truck driving job.
Just a few days before he died, the Walias invited Emelyanova to visit before they left on holiday.
"I said that I miss their Punjabi food, and I was planning to cook kumara with chilli that Harman used to love, but I didn't manage to come that day. That would have been our last meeting."
When Emelyanova heard the "bad news" of Walia's death, she thought about "how precious, and unpredictable life is".
She has been "searching for the right words to console" Kirtika Walia ever since.
Emelyanova said it was upsetting that Walia's family were having to wait so long to "conduct their final rituals".
"At the moment she [Kirtika] is there, and everyone is here, all of her friends. So she is just there by herself."
Emelyanova said Walia's wanted to take his body to India to be cremated.
A fundraising page has been set up to help the family get Walia's body back to India, and help his wife travel there too.
The page says "they were on a work visa in New Zealand and didn't have any health insurance".
"Also, they didn't think of buying travel insurance while purchasing tickets, which now leaves the cost of getting his body back to his mother who recently had brain haemorrhage surgery."
Emelyanova said, "no amount of money can compensate for this horrific loss... but this is something little that we all can do to show our sympathy and support".
