Kerala Family’s Narrow Escape From Pahalgam Terror Attack: 'Salty Rogan Josh Delayed Our Plans'

A family from Kerala holidaying in Jammu and Kashmir has claimed they narrowly avoided the terror attack in Pahalgam - thanks to an unexpectedly salty serving of rogan josh that delayed their travel plans, India Today reported.

Lavanya, a resident of Kochi, said she was vacationing in Srinagar with her family in the days leading up to the horrific incident.

Photo Credit: PTI

The group was en route to Pahalgam and had reached within two kilometres of the attack site on Tuesday, according to her account.

As per India Today, Lavanya recounted that as they made their way towards Pahalgam, they noticed a group of horses running frantically downhill, which raised their suspicions. Although they felt something was amiss, they continued moving forward.

They soon encountered vehicles returning from Pahalgam whose occupants signalled to them not to proceed.

Still confused, the family ultimately chose to turn back. It was only after they began receiving anxious calls from friends and relatives that they realised the gravity of the situation.

"When we watched the news is when we understood what we escaped and how fortunate we were," Lavanya said.

Saved by a late lunch?

Lavanya attributed their narrow escape to two unexpected heroes: her husband and the restaurant staff where they had lunch.

"Over the previous two days, we hadn't stopped for lunch as it was the peak tourist season and everywhere was packed. But that day, my husband insisted on stopping for a proper meal," she said.

They spent nearly an hour and a half at the restaurant. The mutton rogan josh they had ordered turned out to be "too salty", prompting them to complain. The restaurant staff insisted on preparing a fresh serving.

"We said we would get late, but they were adamant about serving another one. I'm glad they were. That extra time spent making the dish again, maybe it saved our lives," she said.

Similar stories of close shaves were reported by other tourists. A group of 28 visitors from Maharashtra said their trip was delayed due to a shortage of horses.

Another couple from Jaipur claimed they had paused for a snack in a secluded spot when the firing began, allowing them to remain hidden and escape unhurt.