'My son was saved by ponywallahs, who hid him behind animals': Survivor’s account of Pahalgam horror

INDORE: The terrorists who wreaked mayhem at Pahalgam seem to have sent scouts to mingle with tourists for several minutes, as if doing a recce of targets. And when all hell broke loose, it was pony-wallahs who saved several lives, including that of an Indore youth whose father was killed.This haunting account of the Pahalgam terror attack comes from Indore's Nathaniel family, who lost one of their own – Sushil –to the heinous crime.Sushil's wife Jennifer has told her mother-in-law and Sushil's maternal aunt Rosina Kumrawat that the morning was picture-perfect and serene when they set out for Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley. There was no inkling of the horror that was to follow."We left around 11 in the morning. The valley was unusually crowded that day. There were many ponies, and since I am unfamiliar with riding, I was already a little nervous," Jennifer told Rosina on the way back from Indore airport.The couple and their son Austen made their way over the narrow trails on ponies, enjoying tea and snacks, and stopping at scenic spots to click pictures.In the crowd were two men dressed in traditional Kashmiri attire, seemingly herding cattle. "They didn't appear suspicious at first — maybe just locals," she told Rosina. "But one man kept circling around, not taking pictures like the other tourists. I grew suspicious of his activities and felt something bad was going to happen," she said.The horror was unleashed moments later. Three men, in military-style clothing, emerged from the crowd. Without warning, they opened fire."There was no time to react. Those who had come for the recce disappeared, and the shooting started. Two young boys — twins — were hit badly. They didn't even get a chance," Jennifer said, according to her relative."As this was happening, my husband threw a jacket towards me, signalling me to wear it as if he wanted to save me from being hit by bullets. Amid this chaos they came towards him, put a weapon to his head, and asked him to read the Kalma. When he said he was a Christian, they pushed him to the ground and shot him multiple times," she said."Bullets tore through the air; I couldn't do anything. I was pushed away," she said, her voice trembling. "I couldn't save anyone."Rosina said the couple's daughter Akansha hadn't accompanied her parents and brother to the valley and was still at the foothills when her mother told her over phone that terrorists had shot her father.She ran towards the spot to try and locate them and was injured during this attempt. The details of how Akansha was injured still remain unclear, said Rosina.She said that Austen was saved by local pony-wallahs who hid him behind the animals and brought him down through different trails.