Karnal (Haryana), April 23 - Little did Himanshi from Gurugram know that even before the mehndi on her hands was applied, her husband's shadow would be lifted from her head and her happy wedding days would turn into a horrific incident. Newlyweds Vinay Narwal (26) and Himanshi from Haryana were on a tour of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir after their wedding when the terrorist attack took place on Tuesday afternoon.
Lieutenant Narwal, a resident of Sector-7 in Karnal, was posted in Kochi and had recently tied the knot with Gurugram-based Himanshi on April 16 and the reception was held on April 19. The couple had gone to Kashmir to celebrate the new beginning of their lives.
A neighbour said with a heavy heart that when the news of Narwal's shooting reached home, the family members were still distributing wedding sweets to the neighbours, celebrating the happiness. "Everyone was very happy and we were planning to organize 'Mata Ka Jagran' next month, but now all dreams have been shattered," he said.
As soon as this heartbreaking news spread, Karnal was in mourning. His father immediately left for Pahalgam, while people reached his residence to pay their respects.
Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini spoke to Vinay's grandfather through video call and assured the family that the entire state stands with them in this hour of grief. Saini said, "Strict and concrete action will be taken against the people behind the attack." Speaker Kalyan said, "We have lost a brave soldier, a son of the soil and a good human being."