The saddest fortnight of Himanshi Narwal's young life culminated early Wednesday in a quantum of "solace" delivered from the skies, literally.
"India's action has brought peace to Vinay Narwal's soul," said Himanshi, who was on honeymoon when tragedy struck. "I relate to the choice of the word 'sindoor' for the operation. Those who destroyed so many families have received the strictest punishment."
Her words echoed from her home in Gurgaon to Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang, where another grieving wife of a slain member of the armed forces spoke of being "overwhelmed" on hearing about the Indian airstrikes.
"I request the govt to wipe out all terrorists so that no more innocents die at their hands," said Charo Kamhua Tage, who had been married to IAF corporal Tage Hailyang for less than a year.
"Justice served. It's their turn to feel the terror," said Jennifer Nathaniel in Indore, just over a fortnight after her husband Sushil Nathaniel fell to terrorist bullets.
'My sindoor was wiped off by terror, wish no other woman's is'
Jennifer, who woke up at 6am to news of Operation Sindoor , recalled the "rage" she saw on the face of a soldier her son's age when he reached out to her moments after the April 22 massacre.
"His face mirrored the determination that our armed forces have shown. Besides justice, I feel a sense of pride. India acted at the right time, and should now push ahead to completely eliminate terrorism," she said.
Bengal native Soheni Adhikari (37), the wife of slain Florida-based techie Bitan Adhikari, said her first thought on hearing about the airstrikes on terrorist targets in Pakistan was that the "nation has avenged my husband's death".
"I am sure he (Bitan) is watching from above. He can now rest in peace. My sindoor was wiped off by terror. I wish no other woman's sindoor is removed like mine. I always had faith in the govt, and am grateful for the action taken today."
Kolkata resident Sabari Guha (51), who lost her statistician husband Samir in the terrorist attack, sees India's response as "just the beginning".
"I am indebted to the armed forces. The mission to eradicate cross-border terror must go on. Only when all terrorists are eliminated will complete justice be done. My country should and will remain safe for all," she said.
Kamakshi, whose Bengaluru-based software engineer husband Somisetty Madhusudhan Rao was among the 26 victims, said she was "in no state to follow the news" until someone told her of the operation.
"All of us who lost family members should thank PM Modi for avenging their deaths. I pray that a terrorist attack of the kind that shattered our lives should not happen on Indian soil again," the mother of two teenagers said from her home in Andhra Pradesh's Kavali.
Dombivli resident Atul Mone's widow Anushka and the couple's daughter Rucha said they had been "waiting to hear" about India's response to the terrorist attack that changed their lives forever. "This will bring peace to the souls of all 26 people who were killed in Pahalgam," Anushka said. "I personally felt a sense of relief that the perpetrators won't go scot-free."
In Odisha's Balasore, victim Prasant Satpathy's wife Priyadarshini Acharya said she always knew that "the govt will take revenge for what the terrorists did" and had been "anxiously waiting for this moment".
"This is a befitting reply. Let terrorists, not the common man, feel threatened. Citizens should feel their lives are valued. The govt has done exactly what it should have. It's a new beginning."
Gujarat native Kajal Parmar, whose husband Yatish Parmar and their 17-year-old son Smit were killed in the carnage, pleaded with PM Modi to keep the offensive against terrorists in Pakistan going until they were "annihilated". "We salute the armed forces and urge the govt to be unsparing against Pakistan, this is my prayer to Modi saheb," she said at Bhavnagar.
In Surat, banker Shailesh Kalathiya's wife Sheetal allowed herself a smile as she spoke of the govt and the armed forces "bringing to justice those who shot my husband and others in the name of religion". "We have full faith in the govt that it will do whatever is right," Sheetal said. "As for me, I have my daughter Niti to look after. She is still to recover from the trauma of seeing her father killed in front of her eyes."
"India's action has brought peace to Vinay Narwal's soul," said Himanshi, who was on honeymoon when tragedy struck. "I relate to the choice of the word 'sindoor' for the operation. Those who destroyed so many families have received the strictest punishment."
Her words echoed from her home in Gurgaon to Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang, where another grieving wife of a slain member of the armed forces spoke of being "overwhelmed" on hearing about the Indian airstrikes.
"I request the govt to wipe out all terrorists so that no more innocents die at their hands," said Charo Kamhua Tage, who had been married to IAF corporal Tage Hailyang for less than a year.
"Justice served. It's their turn to feel the terror," said Jennifer Nathaniel in Indore, just over a fortnight after her husband Sushil Nathaniel fell to terrorist bullets.
'My sindoor was wiped off by terror, wish no other woman's is'
Jennifer, who woke up at 6am to news of Operation Sindoor , recalled the "rage" she saw on the face of a soldier her son's age when he reached out to her moments after the April 22 massacre.
"His face mirrored the determination that our armed forces have shown. Besides justice, I feel a sense of pride. India acted at the right time, and should now push ahead to completely eliminate terrorism," she said.
Bengal native Soheni Adhikari (37), the wife of slain Florida-based techie Bitan Adhikari, said her first thought on hearing about the airstrikes on terrorist targets in Pakistan was that the "nation has avenged my husband's death".
"I am sure he (Bitan) is watching from above. He can now rest in peace. My sindoor was wiped off by terror. I wish no other woman's sindoor is removed like mine. I always had faith in the govt, and am grateful for the action taken today."
Kolkata resident Sabari Guha (51), who lost her statistician husband Samir in the terrorist attack, sees India's response as "just the beginning".
"I am indebted to the armed forces. The mission to eradicate cross-border terror must go on. Only when all terrorists are eliminated will complete justice be done. My country should and will remain safe for all," she said.
Kamakshi, whose Bengaluru-based software engineer husband Somisetty Madhusudhan Rao was among the 26 victims, said she was "in no state to follow the news" until someone told her of the operation.
"All of us who lost family members should thank PM Modi for avenging their deaths. I pray that a terrorist attack of the kind that shattered our lives should not happen on Indian soil again," the mother of two teenagers said from her home in Andhra Pradesh's Kavali.
Dombivli resident Atul Mone's widow Anushka and the couple's daughter Rucha said they had been "waiting to hear" about India's response to the terrorist attack that changed their lives forever. "This will bring peace to the souls of all 26 people who were killed in Pahalgam," Anushka said. "I personally felt a sense of relief that the perpetrators won't go scot-free."
In Odisha's Balasore, victim Prasant Satpathy's wife Priyadarshini Acharya said she always knew that "the govt will take revenge for what the terrorists did" and had been "anxiously waiting for this moment".
"This is a befitting reply. Let terrorists, not the common man, feel threatened. Citizens should feel their lives are valued. The govt has done exactly what it should have. It's a new beginning."
Gujarat native Kajal Parmar, whose husband Yatish Parmar and their 17-year-old son Smit were killed in the carnage, pleaded with PM Modi to keep the offensive against terrorists in Pakistan going until they were "annihilated". "We salute the armed forces and urge the govt to be unsparing against Pakistan, this is my prayer to Modi saheb," she said at Bhavnagar.
In Surat, banker Shailesh Kalathiya's wife Sheetal allowed herself a smile as she spoke of the govt and the armed forces "bringing to justice those who shot my husband and others in the name of religion". "We have full faith in the govt that it will do whatever is right," Sheetal said. "As for me, I have my daughter Niti to look after. She is still to recover from the trauma of seeing her father killed in front of her eyes."
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