From Hope to Heartbreak

The story of Lt. Saurabh Kalia’s homecoming wrapped in the tricolour.

Sreemati Sen and N.K. Kalia

The news broke on 8 June—the day the world shattered for the Kalia family. A day that would forever be etched in the Kalia family’s memory. Doordarshan and countless other news channels confirmed the devastating news:

Lieutenant Kalia and his five men were dead.

The Pakistani army announced that they would hand over the bodies at the check post on 9 June 1999. It was a grim formality.

Conflicting Narratives

Pakistan officially denied the capture of the soldiers and claimed the bodies were found in a gorge. Their subsequent announcement of a ‘goodwill gesture’—the return of the bodies to India—felt like a sham, an insult.

The news that the missing patrol of Lieutenant Kalia had been captured and killed spread like wildfire. Members of 4 Jat shared the horrific details with Vaibhav. The bodies, they said, were in a shockingly bad state. It was clear-this was a message, a brutal warning from Pakistan. It was a calculated and deliberate act. A cruel and barbaric message to break the spirit of the Indian army and deter them from future incursions.

Vaibhav collapsed into a chair. The news was a physical blow. He was least prepared for this. His mind reeled with questions. What happened? How? Why?

He felt a sharp pang of betrayal. Why hadn’t they been told the truth?

They had believed Saurabh was on a routine posting, but the reality—the capture and then death—was a terrible shock.

9 June 1999

The Yol cantonment authorities made the sombre announcement—Lieutenant Kalia’s remains would be transported by military helicopter from Kargil to Srinagar and then to New Delhi. A detailed autopsy would be conducted there. Then it would be sent to Palampur.

Word of the impending arrival of Lieutenant Kalia spread fast. Huge crowds gathered to witness the arrival of the brave officer. By the time the helicopter was due, a vast crowd had assembled, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was as if the population of Palampur had tripled. Everyone stood united in grief and respect for the fallen officer.

The Road to Grief

The car sped towards Palampur, but for Vibha, time stood still. The three-hour drive to Palampur felt like an endless journey. She sat in the back, her gaze fixed on the passing landscape, but her mind was elsewhere, lost in the warm hues of the childhood she had shared with her dear brother, Saurabh.

She remembered the familiar sight of S