Sounds of bullets still echo in their ears
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Nagpur: The Roopchandani family's
Kashmir holiday
turned into a nightmare on the very first day, as they found themselves fleeing for their lives amid a hail of bullets in Pahalgam. After a traumatic journey back, the Nagpur-based family of three finally reached home at midnight on Wednesday, exhausted and visibly shaken.
Tilak Roopchandani, his wife Simran, and their young son Garv were among the survivors of the terror attack that rocked the popular tourist destination earlier this week. Simran, who sustained a leg fracture while escaping, was wheeled out of the Nagpur airport terminal late in the night, choosing silence over recounting the ordeal. Garv stood silently beside her, eyes wide with trauma.
"They flew from Srinagar to Mumbai on a special flight arranged by the state govt, and then took a connecting flight to Nagpur," said BJP leader Virendra Kukreja, who was present at the airport to receive them.
Recalling the terror, Tilak said the sounds of gunfire and screams still echoed in his ears. "You may not recognize gunshots instantly, but the deafening cracks were enough for anyone to realize bullets were flying. I will never forget those dreadful shrieks — victims wailed like animals being slaughtered," he said, visibly disturbed.
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The family had just reached the pony stand at the exit point of the valley trail when the firing began. Even the pony keepers fled, leaving tourists to fend for themselves. "We started running downhill into the forest, following the river hoping it would lead to some village or settlement. We must've walked nearly two hours, covering around 8 kilometers on foot," Tilak said.
They encountered two small hospitals along the way, but neither had the facilities to treat Simran's injuries. Eventually, army personnel found them and helped them reach the point where their taxi had been parked. "There was no other way to reach the cab as the road was sealed after the attack," he added.
The Roopchandanis had planned a 10-day holiday in Kashmir and had chosen Pahalgam as their first stop. But instead of scenic beauty and leisure, the family is now left with memories of chaos, fear, and a desperate bid for survival.
Back in Nagpur, a stream of visitors and concerned relatives thronged their residence, eager to hear their harrowing account — one the family is still trying to process.
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