RAIPUR: For the Agrawal family from Chhattisgarh’s Chirimiri, April 22 embodies both trauma and renewal – surviving the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and welcoming a baby boy exactly a year later. They named him Pahal, meaning “a new beginning,” symbolizing their journey from fear to healing and reflecting a quiet attempt to reclaim a date once marked by tragedy.“The date represents the convergence of a traumatic terror attack and arrival of a new life exactly a year later,” says businessman Arvind S Agrawal.Arvind, wife Pooja and their four-and-half-yr-old daughter Samriddhi were visiting Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley on April 22, 2025. The outing began with routine sightseeing before gunfire erupted. Panic gripped the area as the attack claimed 26 lives and left several others injured. Tourists fled the valley in a scramble for safety.The Agrawals got separated during the chaos. Nazakat Ahmed Shah, a local garments trader and family friend, protected Samriddhi from the terrorists by claiming her as his own daughter. A local horseman helped an injured Pooja escape through a forest path. He provided her with clothing to replace her torn garments, refusing payment later for his assistance.The family lived to tell the tale but the trauma persisted. “Thinking about that day still makes us shiver,” Arvind says. Samriddhi remains fearful. “If she sees guns in movies, she shuts her eyes,” Arvind adds.Welcoming the baby boy on April 22, 2026, and christening him Pahal, the family felt the name signifies their journey from trauma to healing. “We survived as God wanted us to see this day,” Arvind says.The family wants to return to Pahalgam with their newborn. They view the planned trip as a step toward moving past the tragedy that brought them so close to death and the fear that once dictated their lives.
