'Pahalgam cabbies treated me as sister'

KOCHI: In the aftermath of Tuesday's attack that claimed her father N Ramachandran's life, Arati R Menon returned home to Kochi carrying both heartbreak and gratitude - for the strangers who became like family. "I have two brothers in Kashmir now," she told the media on Thursday, referring to two local Kashmiris who stood by her through the darkest hours.

"My driver Musafir and his friend Samir treated me like their own sister. They didn't take any money. My jacket was torn, and Musafir gave me his jacket, which I wore through the night. They stood by me through everything - took me to the mortuary, helped with the formalities..." Arati said. "Locals were giving water and helping the survivors. They said, 'Didi, we are Kashmiris, we are not terrorists.' I want the world to know this. These people are not terrorists. We should not generalise... We are all Indians," she said.