As the news of the Pahalgam terror attack broke across India, families of tourists and pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir were gripped by fear and anxiety, their phones ringing endlessly in desperate hope for reassurance. For many, these calls—filled with trembling voices and tearful goodbyes—would become their last conversations with loved ones, forever etched in their memories.
Relatives of the victims described how, as soon as reports of gunfire in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley surfaced, phones began ringing incessantly. “When are you coming back from Jammu & Kashmir?” was the refrain echoing in homes from Kanpur to Kolkata to Gujarat, as families tried to reach their sons, daughters, spouses, and siblings. For many, the only updates came from frantic calls or brief, emotional exchanges—often interrupted by chaos or cut short by tragedy
Saurabh Dwivedi, cousin of victim Shubham Dwivedi from Kanpur, recounted the heartbreaking moment his family learned of the attack. Shubham’s wife, herself traumatized, called her father-in-law to say that Shubham had been shot in the head by terrorists. “We got to know when bhabhi called up my uncle and said that Shubham bhaiya had been shot in the head,” Saurabh told reporters, his voice heavy with grief. Shubham, newly married, had been on a family holiday—a trip that ended in unimaginable loss.
In Kolkata, the Guha family’s home was plunged into sorrow when they received a call from their driver confirming the worst. Sameer Guha’s wife, Shabri, managed only a few words to her brother: “Everything was over in an instant!” Neighbors described the family’s devastation, recalling how Shabri and her daughter recounted the terrifying moments when militants surrounded them and selectively shot male tourists, including Sameer.
For countless families, the wait for news was agonizing. Some clung to their phones, eyes brimming with tears, as they spoke to loved ones trapped in the valley or awaited updates from authorities. “We believed Kashmir was safe; we had no idea this could occur,” said a survivor from Gujarat, still in shock after being treated for a gunshot wound.
As the mortal remains of the victims began returning to their hometowns, scenes of grief played out at airports and railway stations across the country. Communities gathered to pay their last respects, and leaders from every corner of India offered condolences and support to the bereaved.
The Pahalgam terror attack has not only claimed innocent lives but has left families shattered, their last conversations forever marked by uncertainty, fear, and longing. The nation stands with these families in mourning, united in grief and in the resolve that such tragedy must never be repeated.