"Ceasefire is a good thing. No more civilians will die now.
No more houses will be bombed."
Until two weeks ago, for 13-year-old Amanpreet Singh, the word ‘war’ was just another term in his history textbook. But on 7 May, amid the raging cross-border conflict between India and Pakistan, a Pakistani shell struck his home in Poonch, taking the life of his father, Amarjeet Singh.
Amanpreet was forced to grow up overnight.
He now understands what words like war, ceasefire, shelling, and firing truly mean.
“In war, civilians die. It should be avoided,” Amanpreet told The Quint, with his sister, Gurshanagat Kaur, sitting beside him. Much younger, she didn’t grasp the terminology but knew exactly what had killed her father. “Humaare ghar ke upar ek shell phata aur usme papa ki death ho gayi (A shell exploded over our house and killed my father),” she said softly.
‘This Is the Worst We’ve Ever Seen’
At 8 am on 7 May, Pakistan launched intense shelling in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir.
Amarjeet, a 52-year-old retired army official, was helping his family move to a safer location when a shell pierced the roof of his house. Three splinters hit him, one of which got lodged in his lungs.
“After being injured, he walked to the hospital. The splinter in his lungs caused severe damage. He later died in the hospital,” Amarjeet’s uncle, Mandheer Singh, said.
He added, “Our family has lived here since 1947. We’ve always understood the risks of living near the border, but we’ve never seen destruction of this scale.”
Poonch, in Jammu and Kashmir, remained one of the worst-affected areas in Pakistani shelling as the India-Pakistan conflict raged post India's precision strikes launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
"Innocent lives lost in Pahalgam. But what about the innocent lives lost now?" Mandheer asked.
‘I Want to Join the Army’
On May 13, six days after the shelling, splinters and debris still littered the terrace of Amarjeet’s family home. Neighbours continued to pour in to pay their respects.
“We’re still in shock. Last week was terrifying, to say the least,” 25-year-old Atinder, Amarjeet’s nephew, told The Quint. “It’s easy to call for war when you’re far away. But when you’re in the middle of it, all you want is peace,” he added.
Since India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire on May 10, the family is now picking up the pieces and planning their next steps.
Amanpreet, who was serving water and tea to guests paying respects to his father, shared his own aspirations. “I want to join the army when I grow up, just like my father,” he said.