A soldier who had promised to come home but returned in a coffin wrapped in a tricolor. Major Vibhuti Dhoundiyal was a brave soldier who was martyred in the Pulwama attack last year. It has been a year now, and his wife has decided to walk on her husband’s path.
Pulwama attack martyr
A year ago, we all witnessed the most heartbreaking moment when Major Vibhuti Dhoundial’s wife gave her final farewell to her husband with touching words like ‘I love you Vibhu’ on martyrdom.
She told people to learn from his husband and join the Indian Army. Following her words, she is all set to don the same uniform that her husband sacrificed his life for.
According to a report, Nikita Kaul Dhoundiyal, the widow of Major Vibhuti Dhoundial, has cleared her Short Service Commission (SSC) exam and interview and is now waiting for the merit list.
“I filled the SSC form six months after Vibhu’s martyrdom. It was my way to recover. When I wrote the exam and gave the interview, I could know what he would have felt when he wrote his SSC. I connected with him, his fears and his anxiety. Somehow that gave me energy,” she said.
They both were married on 18th April 2018. It was 10 months of his marriage, Major Vibutu had returned to serve the nation after being on a short leave in January. He was posted with 55 RR and was in an operation against Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists. In an encounter in Pulwama, the 35-year-old was martyred along with three others in a 20 hr gun battle.
It was a horrific day, Major Vibhuti returned Dehradun in a coffin, wrapped in the tricolor.
“I took the time. I first required to accept what had occurred. Vibhu was very progressive. He wanted me to do better than him. So whenever I had any fear or doubt about my decision to join the Indian Army, I would close my eyes and think about what Vibhu would do. He was helpful in my decision to join the army,” Nikita said.
From being a wife to donning army uniform
The army allows ease for war widows in the age limit if they desire to join the service. However, the selection manner remains as hard as it is for others.
“I struggled a lot to qualify. Now I want to excel in one year of training. I want to be an officer who everyone can be proud of, Vibhu can be proud of,” she added.
Nikita, who is working in a Noida-based MNC will be resigning shortly to join the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. For the first time, she will be keeping herself away from her husband’s cupboard which still now has his uniform, his lip balm, his lighter and even his toothbrush.
“The interview panel asked me how long I was married. I said, ‘two years’. They said, ‘But we learned you both were married for nine months…’. I said, ‘Vibhu is not here physically but that doesn’t mean our marriage has ended’.”
