Srilanka, Feb. 2 -- It has been 15 years and nine days since Sandya Ekneligoda last saw her husband, Prageeth Ekneligoda. On the day, 50-year-old Prageeth, a cartoonist and columnist for the news website Lanka e News, was at his home in Pannipitiya preparing to attend a Bodhi pooja for a friend.

"He realised that none of his white shirts had been washed. I told him there was a newly stitched white shirt meant for our eldest son, who was 15 at the time. He tried it on and it fit perfectly. He said how much our son had grown and seemed happy at the thought," Sandya recalled.

Tragic end

With a busy day ahead, Prageeth had left home for the office unaware that this would be the last time he and Sandya would see each other. Neither of them ...