April 22 will forever remain etched in our memories as one of the worst attacks on humankind by terrorists. For the 26 people who lost their lives in the Pahalgam attack, the ill-fated day came unannounced and all at once. From Vinay Narwal enjoying his honeymoon, a last-minute change of itinerary for Neeraj Udhwani, celebrating his son's result for Manujnath Rao, to an after-retirement trip for N. Ramachandra, none of them had the slightest inkling of what lay ahead of them.
As we salute those who lost their lives in the cowardly act by the terrorists, let's take a look at those who lost their lives.
Sushil Nathaniel: LIC Brand Manager from Indore had no idea what lay ahead of him as he, along with his wife, son, and daughter, were soaking in the beauty of Pahalgam at the time of the attack. Minutes later, the family was surrounded by terrorists who asked Sushil to get down on his knees and recite Kalma.
Fearing the worst, Sushil asked his family to back off and told the terrorists that he was a Christian. It didn't take seconds for the terrorists to shoot Sushil, and he died on the spot. His daughter also suffered bullet injuries to her legs.
Atul Mone, Sanjay Lele, and Hemant Joshi: The three childhood friends had planned their lives together and wanted to see their kids grow up to make names. But their dreams were cut short by the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Atul Mone was a railway employee; Hemant Joshi worked at a logistics company. Hemant Joshi was shot dead in front of his wife and son. Sanjay Lele, who was known as the pillar of strength of the family, died on the spot. His son, too, suffered a bullet injury to his finger but miraculously survived.
Vinay Narwal: Out of all the victims who took the ill-fated tour, Officer Vinay Narwal's story remains the most heartbreaking. Married just five days ago, Lt. Narwal was posted in Kochi. The duo had plans of enjoying their honeymoon in Europe, but due to the visa cancellation, the duo changed their plans to Kashmir. The couple had been sharing videos and reels of the couple basking in the glory of their newly wedded life.
However, little did they know that the picture of his devastated wife, sitting next to the officer's slain body, would emerge as the ghastly reminder of the cowardly attack on the innocents all across the nation. Originally from Haryana, Vinay Narwal was just 26.
Neeraj Udhwani: A 33-year-old CA from Dubai had gone to attend a friend's wedding in Chandigarh. And it was from there that he and his wife planned a sudden trip to Kashmir, oblivious to the fact that it would become their last few moments together.
Bitan Adhikari: For the Adhikari family from Kolkata, it didn't take a dreamy holiday long to turn into their worst nightmare. Bitan, who worked in the US, had come home on a break to spend time with his family. Bitan's wife revealed that the men were segregated from the group and shot one by one, right in front of their eyes.
Sudeep Neupane: The 27-year old Nepalese citizen was on a family holiday where he was killed. His family revealed that the terrorists asked his religion and shot him right in front of their eyes.
Shubham Dwivedi: The Dwivedi family had stopped just a few kilometers away from the 'mini Switzerland' for refreshments, letting Shubham, his wife, and sister-in-law go ahead. It was the high altitude that made them decide not to go. A decision they now wish they could avert. Shubham was asked his religion and shot dead right in front of his wife. When his wife, Eshanaya, pleaded with the terrorists to kill her, she was told to go inform Modi about all this. Shubham and Eshanaya had tied the knot in February this year.
Prasant Kumar Satpathy: Back in Balasore, the entire town is engulfed in grief and heartbreak as their beloved son died tragically in the Pahalgam attack. Prasant, who worked in CIPET, Bhubhaneshwar, had a lifelong dream of visiting 'heaven on Earth.' His wife revealed that they had just gotten down from the joyride when they heard the gunshots. Before they could figure out that it wasn't firecrackers, her husband was shot in the head and fell down.
Manish Ranjan: IB officer Manish Ranjan was the 'pride' of the entire town of Jhalda in Purulia, Bihar. Manish Ranjan Mishra had left two well-paying jobs before joining IB in 2012. His family was on its way to meet him in Jammu, where he had promised to take them to the Vaishno Devi shrine. The whole town is mourning the loss of the 'gem' that Manish was.
N Ramachandra: A retired expatriate from Kochi, the 68-year-old victim had returned to India from Qatar just two years back. Ramachandra had come to Kashmir for a vacation. While his wife stayed back in the hotel due to her recent angioplasty, he was shot dead in Baisaran valley in front of his daughter and grandkids.
Samir Guha: Forty-six-year-old Samir Guha was out on a walk with his family during their first trip to Kashmir when he was shot dead. At first, the family thought that the sound was of firecrackers to shoo away the monkeys, but before they could understand anything, they were surrounded by gunmen. The junior statistical officer was asked to lay on the ground with several others, and then, without any provocation, he was shot dead.
Dileep Dasali: A 64-year-old retired electrical professional became one of the casualties of the Pahalgam terror attack. He and his wife were with a 35-member tourist group. Unfortunately, their itinerary didn't have Pahalgam until the last few days, but a sudden change in the planning led to all of them being there on the day of the attack.
J S Chandramouli (68) and S Madhusudan: Retired bank employee Chandramouli and senior architect S. Madhusudan also lost their lives in the attack. While others in their group ran, Chandramouli couldn't run fast due to old age and a heart problem. He was chased and shot dead. His family initially thought he was still in hiding and was devastated to see his lifeless body later.
Santosh Jagdale: The 54-year-old businessman was asked to step out his tent and recite Islamic verse. When he failed to comply, he was shot in the head, behind his ears, and also in the back.
Manjunath Rao: A realtor from Shivamogga, Manjunath, had gone to Kashmir with his family to celebrate his son's 97% marking in the II PU examinations. Rao's wife, Pallavi, said that after they killed her husband point-blank, she pleaded with them to kill her too. But they refused and asked her to inform Modi about it.
Bharat Bhushan: A 41-year-old techie from Bengaluru was killed in front of his wife and son, despite repeated pleas. He kept pleading with the gunmen to spare him as he had a 3-year-old son, but they kept shooting.
Yatish Parmar and Sumit Parmar: The father-son duo from Bhavnagar had gone to Kashmir to hear Ram Katha discourse by a spiritual leader, Morari Bapu. While the wife, Kajal Parmar, survived the attack, the father-son duo lost their lives.
Syed Adil Hussain Shah: One of the bravest stories coming out from the Pahalgam terror attack is that of Syed Adil Hussain Shah. The sole breadwinner of his family, the young pony rider, sacrificed his life in trying to snatch a gun from the gunmen. In his bid to rescue the tourists, he reached martyrdom.
