Ahmednagar: A last-minute twist of fate ensured that Central Reserve Police Force jawan Thaka Belkar from Ahmednagar did not proceed on the truck which was part of the ill-fated convoy attacked on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway.
Belkar had applied for leave for his wedding, but since it had been denied, he decided to join the convoy of CRPF jawans headed to Jammu & Kashmir. As luck would have it, after he had boarded the bus, he received a message, his leave had been sanctioned. Eager to get home, he jumped off the bus and headed back to Ahmednagar.
Now, Belkar is in a quandary — should he celebrate his wedding or mourn his colleagues who perished in the attack? The event has cast a pall of gloom over his family and Belkar himself is still coming to grips with the tragedy.
His wedding is on the cards, on February 24, but there is none of the traditional pre-wedding cheer in the Belkar household. The marriage will take place as scheduled but his father has decided it will be a simple and sombre affair. Belkar is a resident of Gajre Jhap in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar. He has been a soldier for four years.
