The real heroes of a nation are the soldiers who guard the borders of the country and fight with the enemies. Story of Sangeeta Akshay Girish gives us an insight into the plight of families of the soldiers who attain martyrdom while saving the nation.
Sangeeta shared an emotional post on Facebook in which she talked about her beautiful life with her husband, Major Akshay Girish, and Naina, her 3 years old daughter.
The couple had a very happening life as Akash proposed to her in a unique style with a “red pen drive” and they also did skydiving with the family. Army postings at various locations made their lives a little hectic but they were a happy family till 2016.
She wrote,
“On November 29th, we suddenly woke up at 5:30 am to the sound of gunshots. We thought it was training but there had not been any intimation. Soon even grenades went off. At around 5:45am, a junior came in to tell him that militants had taken the artillery regiment as hostage and he’d have to change to combat clothing. The last thing he said to me was ‘you must write about this.’”
Here’s the heartfelt post:
“It was 2009. The first time he proposed, it didn’t happen the way he had planned. I was visiting him in Chandigarh with a friend. We drove to Shimla but there was a curfew there. The restaurant he had booked had closed early and he had forgotten to get the ring. So he went down on one knee with a red pen drive that he had in his pocket! In 2011, we got married and I shifted to Pune. Two years later, Naina was born.
He would be gone for long periods for his professional assignments. Since my daughter was young, our families suggested that I come back to Bangalore. But I stayed on. I loved the world we had created and didn’t want to leave it. Life was an adventure with him. From going to meet him at 14000 feet with Naina to sky diving as a family, we did it all.
In 2016, he got posted to Nagrota. We were staying in the officer’s mess as our house was not yet allotted. On November 29th, we suddenly woke up at 5:30 am to the sound of gunshots. We thought it was training but there had not been any intimation. Soon even grenades went off. At around 5:45am, a junior came in to tell him that militants had taken the artillery regiment as hostage and he’d have to change to combat clothing. The last thing he said to me was “you must write about this.”
All the ladies and children were put in a room. Sentries were stationed outside the room and we could hear constant firing. I sent a text to my mother-in-law and a conversation continued between her, my sister-in-law and me as the morning wore on. At 8:09 am, he texted us on the group saying he was in the firefight. Around 8:30 am, we were shifted to a safer place. We were still in our pyjamas and chappals.
The day wore on and there was no news. I started getting jittery and had a sinking feeling. At 11:30 am, I could not help myself and made a call. One of his team members picked up the phone and said “Major Akshay has gone to a different location”. Around 6:15 pm, his commanding officer and some other officers came to meet me. He said “Ma’am we have lost Akshay. He was martyred around 8:30 am.” My world collapsed. I was inconsolable. I wish I had texted him. I wish I had hugged him goodbye. I wish I had told him I loved him one last time. But we never expect things to go wrong. I sobbed like a baby, like my soul was being ripped apart. Two other soldiers were martyred but they saved the women, children and the men who were held hostage.
I got his uniforms, clothes and all the stuff we collected over the years in a truck. I tried hard to fight back my tears. I haven’t washed his regimental jacket and when I miss him a lot, I wear it. It still smells of him.
At first, it was difficult to explain to Naina what had happened but now her papa is a star in the sky. Today, I have set up my own place with the things we had collected. He is there alive and speaking to us through the pictures and the memories we created. We smile through our tears because we know that’s what he would have wanted us to do. Like they say, if you haven’t felt your soul being torn apart, you haven’t really loved with all you heart. Though it hurts, I will always love him.
Sangeeta and Naina Akshay Girish”
The post is going viral on Internet and even the Congress politician Shashi Tharoor couldn’t refrain himself from sharing it on his Twitter account. He wrote, “A moving reminder of what families go through when their loved ones perish defending our freedoms. A martyr’s loss touches lives for ever…”
A moving reminder of what families go through when their loved ones perish defending our freedoms. A martyr's loss touches lives for ever… https://t.co/4Swuc8zRBY
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 9, 2017
We bet that you won’t be able to stop your tears after reading it.
