He loved her too…

Kashmir was the place where the then couple celebrated their 15^th wedding anniversary. Mrs Vasant had never thought that it would be their last one together. Mr. Vasant Venugopal didn’t think twice, didn’t compromise for his family. For his two daughters aged 10 years and 7 years, for their inquisitive eyes, when they would stare towards the door thinking that atleast tonight their father would be back. Thinking…What went wrong?

He loved her more than Mrs. Vasant. And love sees nothing. It just happens. Yes it is blind. Yes everything is fair in love and war.

"Finally, this is all I have left of him," Subhashini Vasant says with tear packed eyes, pointing towards a two and a half foot square wood-and-glass box…"This flag. Some photographs. My children. And that aching space in my heart." The tri-colour flag that draped Mr. Vasant Venugopal laid folded in that box.

Yes, the extra-marital affair of this veteran of the Kargil War was with his Motherland, who gave his life on the 27^th of July, 2007 only to stop eight Pakistani terrorists who were intruding just in order to disturb His Motherland.

This grateful nation will never read his name, like many, in the pale pages of history books. Mrs. Subhashmi Vasant received the Ashok Chakra for her husband’s immeasurable contribution on The Republic day, 2008.

We Salute You.

This gives us yet the somewhere lost urge to stand up, stand up for our Nation.