Viral image of Navy officer, his wife on honeymoon in Pahalgam breaks the Internet—and hearts
PTC Web Desk: Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal and his wife, Himanshi, a dedicated school teacher, have been identified as the couple whose photograph went viral in the aftermath of a devastating terror attack in Kashmir. The image, showing a grieving woman in bridal bangles beside a man lying still in a serene meadow, was widely circulated on social media before the couple’s identity was confirmed by family members and Navy officials.
The couple, recently married on April 16 in Mussoorie, had been on their honeymoon in Baisaran, near Pahalgam town in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district. They had initially planned to travel to Switzerland but changed their plans due to visa delays, opting instead for the tranquil beauty of Pahalgam. Tragically, just 48 hours after arriving in Srinagar, they were caught in a brutal terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 26 tourists on Tuesday.
The haunting photo—believed to have been taken on a mobile phone and distributed by the Press Trust of India—captured a moment of profound loss and heartbreak. At the time it began circulating, the identities of those in the image were unknown. It was only after Hindustan Times shared the photograph with Himanshi’s family in Sector 47, Gurugram, that the connection was heartbreakingly confirmed.
Navy sources later confirmed that the man in the image was Lt Narwal.
News of the attack reached the families well before the media picked up the story. On Wednesday afternoon, Himanshi managed to call her brother, Lakshit, and through sobs told him that Vinay had been killed in the attack. At first, the family clung to the hope that it was a mistake. But the circulating images soon confirmed their worst fears.
Himanshi’s parents, along with Lt Narwal’s father, Rajesh Narwal, immediately rushed to Pahalgam from Gurugram and Karnal, respectively. Lieutenant Narwal’s body was flown to Delhi on Tuesday night.
Their love story had begun long before their marriage, rooted in years of family friendship. The two families had shared a close bond for decades, and the wedding had been finalised in January. Their engagement took place on April 6, and just 10 days later, they celebrated their wedding in the scenic hills of Mussoorie. “Everything had come together so perfectly,” recalled Manish, Himanshi’s elder cousin. “It felt like the beginning of a beautiful chapter.”
Back in their home in Karnal, Lt Narwal’s wedding sherwani still hangs in the wardrobe, untouched. His travel bag, partially unpacked from the wedding trip, sits as a silent testament to a life and journey left incomplete.
- With inputs from agencies
