“You are such a brave man. I am very honoured to have you as my husband. I'll love you till my last breath,” Army Major VS Dhoundiyal’s wife bid him a last goodbye on Tuesday, 19 February.
Fighting tears, Nitika, saluted her husband, chanted “Jai Hind” thrice, blew a kiss and said, “I love you, Vibhu” for one last time at the funeral of Major Dhoundiyal who died fighting terrorists in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday, 18 February.
Standing beside his coffin, Nitika, said, “I'm really proud. We all love you. The way you love everyone is entirely different because you sacrifice your life for the people who you may have never contacted, but still you decided to lay your life for them.”
“You are such a brave man. I am very honoured to have you as my husband. I’ll love you till my last breath. I owe my life to you. Yes, it’s hurting that you’re leaving but I know you will always be around.”Nitika Kaul
A bereaved Nitika requested everyone to not sympathise. “Rather be very strong because this man holds a position larger than any of us standing here. Let's salute this man. Jai Hind, Jai Hind, Jai Hind,” she said.
Thousands of people turned up on the banks of river Ganga in Haridwar on Tuesday to bid a tearful farewell to the Major.
The mortal remains of Major Dhoundiyal were consigned to flames with full state honours at Kharkhari cremation ground. The funeral pyre was lit by the young officer's uncle Jagdish Dhoundiyal in presence of his father-in-law M K Kaul, whose daughter he had married less than a year ago.
Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat placed a wreath on the coffin to pay tribute to the martyr as chants of "Shaheed Dhoundiyal Amar Rahein" and "Vande Mataram" rent the air.
People climbed their rooftops and stood on either side of the road leading to the officer's residence to witness the sombre scene with tears in their eyes.
The mortal remains were brought home in a coffin wrapped in the national flag late on Monday night.
The news of Major Dhoundiyal's supreme sacrifice had come when Major Chitresh Bisht's last rites were still underway in Haridwar on Monday.
Major Bisht, also a resident of Dehradun, was killed while defusing a mine near the LoC in Naushera sector of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
(With inputs ANI)
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