Bhavesh was my good friend. We had toured various parts of the country together but had never been to Kashmir, which is famous all over the world.
We decided to visit the place during the children's vacation.
When we began our holiday, we didn't have any fears about security. We knew about the terrorist threat. But as we saw it, all the tension in Kashmir is between militants and security forces; the common man is not affected.
After leaving from Srinagar, we reached Pahalgam at 3pm on Saturday June 12. We checked into a hotel in Pahalgam and then left for lunch at Hotel Purnima.
We were eight of us and so had joined two tables to be able to sit together. Bhavesh and his family were seated near the entrance while my family was on the other side of the table.
An enthusiastic Yash Shah poses in an army uniform
Also see: Death be not proud...