What began as a much-awaited family getaway to the serene valleys of Pahalgam turned into a harrowing brush with death for several tourists from Tripura, after a sudden terror strike on Hindu pilgrims left 28 people dead in Jammu and Kashmir.

Among the survivors was Supriya Chakraborty, a bank employee from Agartala, who had set out for a peaceful vacation in Srinagar with his wife and two young daughters. 

Speaking to www.newsnow.ind.in , Chakraborty described the moment when their dream holiday descended into chaos.

“We had just reached Pahalgam and were on horseback, soaking in the beauty of the landscape. Suddenly, we heard gunshots—sharp, terrifying. Within seconds, panic erupted all around us,” he said. "It felt like déjà vu. I had lived through Tripura’s insurgency in the early '90s, but this was something else entirely—more brutal, more jarring.”

Recalling the horror, he said the once-tranquil valley was filled with screams, fleeing tourists, and the sight of blood. “I saw a woman sobbing uncontrollably, her clothes stained with blood. Another man had collapsed by the roadside. We rushed back to our hotel, but even that wasn't safe. Authorities soon asked us to evacuate as a precaution. We left for Srinagar early this morning. I still can’t believe we made it out.”

From Teliamura in Tripura’s Khowai district, Manik Debnath and his wife also narrowly escaped the carnage. “We had just finished sightseeing in Pahalgam and were descending when gunfire erupted,” he said. “Our driver didn’t wait—he spun the vehicle around and drove like our lives depended on it. And they did.”

Debnath described an overwhelming show of force in the aftermath. “Within 30 minutes, the entire region was swarming with military convoys, helicopters circling overhead, and bomb squads on the ground. I’ve never seen such a massive security response in my life.”

The couple has since taken shelter in Gulmarg, but the trauma is far from over. “We’re physically safe, yes, but mentally we’re still caught in that moment. Every loud sound brings back the fear,” Debnath added.

As Tripura families continue to return home, shaken and changed, the brutal attack has once again cast a dark shadow over Kashmir’s long-touted image as “heaven on earth.”