Pahalgam terror attack: Father gone, Kerala survivor escaped through woods with twins

Arathi R Menon is slowly coming to terms with the tragic loss of her father N Ramachandran in the Pahalgam terror attack. She arrived in Kochi late last night, accompanying his body, along with her eight-year-old twin sons and her mother, Shiela. At the airport, they were received by her brother who had flown in from Hyderabad to be with the family during this difficult time.

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Arathi chose not to inform her mother about her father's death until they arrived in Kochi, as she was deeply concerned due to her mother’s heart condition and the fact that she had undergone two angioplasty procedures.

Tragic turn of events

Shiela, a school teacher, has been inconsolable following the sudden and brutal loss of her husband. Amid her heartbreak, Arathi managed to briefly speak to reporters, conveying the family's deep shock and sorrow. She had been living in Dubai with her family and had come to Kerala on a short-term relocation. It was during this visit that they planned what was meant to be a joyful family vacation. But the trip took a tragic turn almost as soon as it began — the attack unfolded just as they set out for Kashmir.

Arathi recalled the most harrowing moments of her life — how the nightmare began, how she and her family were caught in its grip, and how they managed to escape even after witnessing her father’s execution unfold before her very eyes, all while shielding her young children.

“It is a fenced area called mini-Switzerland. There were many tourists in groups at the Baisaran meadow, all busy with activities like zip lining and bungee jumping. I was there with my twin boys and my father—my mother had not come for the trek as she had a heart condition. Suddenly, I heard a noise that sounded like a gunshot. When we realised it was a terrorist attack we shattered and ran. We stopped behind a toilet briefly and ran going beneath the fence into the woods,” Arathi told the media.

‘Ran for almost an hour’

“Subsequently, a man with the gun came firing in the air and telling everyone to lie down. They started going around, asking people something, but we couldn’t make out the words. One of them came up to us and asked my father something—it sounded like a single word, maybe ‘kalma’. My father said he didn’t understand. Without hesitation, they shot him. I was in shock —completely numb, he poked the gun to my head but did not shoot as my sons were crying. I saw only two gunmen near us, but there could have been others in different areas; we just didn’t see them. The one who approached us wasn’t wearing any uniform. I have no idea where they came from,” she said while narrating the turn of events.

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“I knew then that my father was gone and we fled through the woods, ran for almost an hour and eventually managed to call our driver, Muzafir—a Kashmiri man. He asked me to come downhill and run a further 200 metres through the road where he was waiting. By the time we reached the car the army and ambulances were reaching the spot,” she added.

All praise for Kashmiris

Showering praise on the Kashmiris for their support in critical times, Arathi said, “Muzafir stayed with me all through the day. Muzafir and another driver, Sameer, both Kashmiris, looked after me like I was their sister. They arranged a hotel room for us, where my mother and kids stayed while I was out, running around completing formalities and giving descriptions of the terrorists until 3 am. Only then did I return to the room. When I said goodbye to them at the airport, I told them that I now had two brothers and may Allah bless them both.”

“By evening, the army and officials contacted us for identification. By then, I was certain my father was dead, and I told them as much. I am saying this in a trauma, I am not sure about the sequential order of events,” she said.

“I had requested the authorities to disconnect the television both at the hotel and in the airport lobby because I didn’t want my mother to find out what had happened. She was told that Dad was undergoing treatment. I also made a conscious decision to stay away from the media during that time,” she added.

Funeral on Friday

To receive the mortal remains of N Ramachandran, both Union and state ministers gathered at the airport. Union Ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurian, along with State Ministers Chinju Rani and P Prasad, Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, and Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden were present. A dedicated area was arranged in the airport's cargo section to pay the final respects.

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The funeral has been scheduled for Friday, allowing time for Ramachandran’s elder brother Rajagopal and his family to return from New York, where they had travelled to visit their daughter.