'We'll never go back to Kashmir’: Newlyweds fled Pahalgam resort on horseback as death closed in

Security personnel inspect the site in the aftermath of an attack as food stall chairs lie empty in Pahalgam, about 90km (55 miles) from Srinagar on April 23, 2025. (AFP)

A Jaipur-based couple escaped on horseback after the terror attack broke out in Baisaran meadow, about 5km from Pahalgam. The couple managed to reach Srinagar airport, after which they boarded the first flight out of Srinagar on Wednesday.

The woman, Komal Soni, was still visibly shaken, her eyes swollen from tears, when she landed in Delhi on Wednesday, a day after surviving the deadly terror attack. She held her husband, Mihir, tightly, as echoes of gunfire, panicked screams, and the haunting silence that followed still terrified her.

The couple had married barely two months ago, and had arrived in Kashmir to celebrate their new life together amidst the beauty of the hills, what they called their “mini-Switzerland.” Dressed in winter clothes and sharing a warm bowl of Maggi noodles, they were laughing and capturing memories when the terrorists attacked the tourists.

"A sudden crack in the air. One shot, and then another. We saw a man fall. Then another. Everything around us stopped,” Komal told TOI.

Komal referred to the widely circulated photo of Lt Vinay Narwal’s wife mourning her husband, a naval officer killed in the attack. “That photo went viral for the world. For us, it was a moment we lived. We saw death getting closer,” she said.

In panic, the couple mounted ponies and fled the valley, driven by fear and desperation. Locals tried to calm them, but the fear had already taken root. By the time they reached the outskirts of the meadow, their only instinct was to run.

The next morning, Komal and Mihir were aboard the first flight out of Srinagar, heading home. “We’ll never go back to Kashmir,” Komal said. Mihir added, “We feel lucky, blessed… and heartbroken.”