CRPF constable Satish Shah
The weak eyes of 57-year-old Savitamma won't stop staring at the porch of her house. She awaits her son, 26-year-old Satish, who will be back home in Mandya in Karnataka soon; but in a coffin.
Satish Shah, a constable with the Central Reserve Police Force or CRPF, had called his mother at 9 am on the fateful day to tell her he was fine. After checking with his mother how she was, Satish hurriedly hung up as he had work to attend like every day.
Five hours later, Savitamma's phone rang again. She thought it was Satish, who used to call her frequently to check on her. But the voice on the other end informed Savitamma of the fatal attack that had killed her son.
"I could not believe what I heard. A voice just informed that my son is no more. How can a mother stomach this piece of news," she said.
Satish was among the five jawans, who lost their lives on Tuesday when militants opened fire in the middle of a field at a CRPF camp in Srinagar.
Savitamma's other son is also in the armed forces.