She was eating bhel-puri; her husband was suddenly shot | Horror accounts from Pahalgam

Himanshi, who had been married just a week ago, had landed in Srinagar with her husband Vinay Narwal (26), a naval officer. The couple had decided to honeymoon in Kashmir instead of travelling abroad to Switzerland. But, their marriage ended in the most cruel fashion when her young husband was brutally shot dead in front of her.

Himanshi happens to be the woman seated beside her husband's body in a photograph that symbolises the tragedy of the Phalgam massacre.

“At first, we thought it was fireworks... then people started screaming,” recounted a survivor, about the horrific massacre that unfolded in Pahalgam’s serene Baisaran meadow. Tourists were soaking in the pretty landscape and enjoying local snacks when terrorists disguised in uniform came out of the dense forests and casually walked up to the tourists.

After asking them if they were Muslim or to recite some Islamic verses, they shot them dead.

Also read: Pahalgam attack: 'Nothing to do with it', Pakistan claims; Delhi skeptical

It is said to be one of the deadliest civilian attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. The attack, which occurred in the Baisaran meadow, around 5 km from the popular hill station of Pahalgam, went on for around 20 minutes as the terrorists walked around opening fire without fear.

The massacre

A woman survivor said three to four men in ‘uniform’ descended from the dense forests. “They asked for our names. We thought they were policemen,” a woman said, adding that "suddenly, they opened fire on the men around and left the women unharmed.”

Some were shot at point-blank range. Those trying to escape were also targeted, while others were pulled out of the tents they were hiding in and shot.

Asked to recite Islamic verses

A Pune-based family of five were posing for photos in traditional Kashmiri attire. But, it turned out to be a memory that they will not cherish instead it will alway haunt them for the rest of their life. One of the members of this family, Asavale Jagdari, a 26-year-old HR professional recounted what happened to PTI.

“There were several tourists around, but the terrorists specifically targetted male tourists after asking whether they were Hindu or Muslim,” she recalled. They suddenly appeared out of nowhere she said and began firing indiscriminately.

Initially, the family assumed it was a clash between terrorists and security personnel and to avoid being caught in the crossfire, the family dashed into a nearby tent for protection. "So did six to seven other tourists. We all lay down on the ground as protection against the firing," Asavari recounted.

However, the attackers, dressed like the local police with printed army style masks entered their tent and called her father, Pune businessman Santosh Jagdale out.

They said, ‘Chaudhari tu bahar aa ja’, she narrated. The men then asked her father about his political beliefs, accusing him of supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They also pointed out that militants do not harm women or children.

Further, Asavari said the attackers asked her father to recite an Islamic verse. “When he failed to do so, they pumped three bullets into him—one on the head, one behind the ear, and another in the back,” she said. Her uncle was also shot in front of her. “They fired four to five bullets into him. They shot several other males who were at the spot with us,” she added. Both are declared dead.

“There was nobody to help. No police or army. They reached 20 minutes later. Even the locals there were reciting the Islamic verses,” she added.

Asavari, her mother Pragati, and another female relative were spared. They were rescued by the Indian army and later evacuated by pony handlers and shifted to the Pahalgam Club after undergoing medical checks.

'Go tell Modi about attack'

Manjunath, a resident of Shivamogga, Karnataka, was shot dead in front of his wife Pallavi. Vacationing with his wife and son, Pallavi said they shot him dead at around 1.30 pm.

Also read: 'Go, tell Modi’: Woman gets chilling message after husband killed in Pahalgam

"He died on the spot, in front of my eyes,” she said. Pallavi and her son pleaded with the terrorist to shoot them but he told her that he was sparing them to "go tell Modi about the attack". Later, three local people rescued them.

Blood pouring from his head

Prasant Kumar Satpathy (41), a native of Balasore district, Odisha. Satpathy, an accountant with the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET), was on a holiday in Kashmir with his wife Priyadarshini and their nine-year-old son.

They had just finished a ropeway ride and were visiting a restaurant nearby when the gunmen opened fire. “I was in shock. My husband fell in front of me with blood pouring from his head. I ran out for help and by the time I returned, Army personnel were already rushing him to hospital,” she recounte. However, Satpathy tragically succumbed to his wounds. His wife and child probably can never wipe out the memory of Satpathy shot down in cold blood in front of their eyes.

Tell Indian govt what we've done

Shubham Dwivedi, a Kanpur resident and his wife, who married in February this year, were in Pahalgam enjoying the scenery and tucking into Maggi. Suddenly, two men in uniform approached them and asked if they were Muslims and demanded they recite the Kalma, an Islamic declaration of faith.