For the family of Lt Vinay Narwal, a 26-year-old Indian Navy officer, grief has not softened with time.
He had been married just days before the attack. What was meant to be the beginning of a new life turned into a permanent goodbye.
Speaking from his Karnal home, his father Rajesh Narwal told PTI:
“After the tragedy struck, our lives completely changed. Earlier, our lives were going smoothly, but now we cannot overcome what has happened. Though we continue to live as we must, life has truly ended for us the day we received this devastating news.”
He pauses often while speaking — as if each memory carries weight.
“A father who loses a young son knows what the pain is. With the passage of time, one may recover from small jolts in life, but this pain will remain forever.”
Vinay had plans — written down carefully in a notebook. A future mapped out.
“He became an officer at a young age. He also maintained a notebook about his plans in life,” his father recalls.
But what stays with him most is not the plans, but the person.
“He was my son, but I think of him as an angel.”
Even now, small memories surface without warning:
“I still remember the joy on his face when he took his first step to walk while holding my finger.”
Just days before the attack, the house was filled with wedding celebrations.
“And three days after the wedding reception was held, the terror incident happened. It was a mountain of sorrow for us and other families who lost their loved ones.”