Udaipur couple relives J&K nightmare

UDAIPUR: Abhishek Kumar and Bhanupriya, the newly wed couple who were trapped in Kashmir floods, returned home safely on Thursday evening. The couple narrated a tale of horror and barely surviving without food. The family was however happy that the duo returned safely and distributed sweets to well wishers who all did their bit in consoling the family.
The couple had gone to Srinagar on September 2 for their honeymoon.
Narrating their experience, Abhishek recollected how the 'Paradise on Earth' had turned into a hell for them. "Hotel Comrade Inn where at Srinagar's Raj Bagh where we had put up was submerged and the water reached the second floor. We were on the third floor, waiting to be rescued," recalled Abhishek, who works in a private company at Udaipur.
The couple had their return tickets booked for September 7 but they were trapped in the flood since a day earlier. "There was no power supply and food. We along with more than 100 people waited for three days on the hotel's terrace to be noticed by helicopters," Bhanupriya said.
"People had to drink water from bathroom taps to quench their thirst. We luckily had a red cloth and waved. Luckily, it was seen by rescuers who made repeated trips to airlift people," she recollected.
Abhishek forced Bhanupriya to leave with Army jawans by a copter while he himself was rescued a day after by an Army boat.
There was also a group of more than 20 people, all from Udaipur's nursing college who got trapped. They were also rescued later. We have appalling memories of the flood, sound of the choppers, cries of the victims and they will haunt for years," Abhishek said. The couple praised the soldiers who bravely fought the odds to rescue their lives and hundreds of others.