A heartbreaking image has come to define the horror of the Pahalgam terror attack — a newly married woman, her wrists still adorned with chooda (the red and white bangles worn by brides), silently sitting besides her husband’s lifeless body.
The newly-married couple was reportedly on their honeymoon when terrorists opened fire at a tourist hotspot in Pahalgam on April 22, killing at least 26 people, including two foreign nationals. Most of the victims were tourists from different parts of India, travelling with their families and children.
The couple in the viral image has been identified as Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal and his wife, Himanshi.
In a chilling video shared online, the woman can be heard pleading for help, “I was eating bhel puri with my husband. A person came and asked if he [Narwal] was Muslim. When he denied, the man shot him dead. Please save my husband!”
The image of Himanshi sitting distraught beside her husband has become one of the most powerful — and painful — visuals from the attack.
Vinay Narwal and Himanshi had originally set their hearts on Europe for their honeymoon. But when their visa didn’t arrive in time, they made a last-minute change in plans and chose Kashmir instead.
The couple had only just tied the knot on April 16 in a destination wedding in Mussoorie. Vinay, a 26-year-old Lieutenant in the Indian Navy, was on leave for the ceremony. A few days later, they left for their honeymoon.
Vinay was just three years into his service in the Navy, posted in Kochi, Kerala. Before that, he earned an engineering degree and dreamed of serving in the defence forces.
