IC-814 hijacking and Pahalgam attack: Newlywed couples caught in terror's grip, 26 years apart

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The recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead, has brought back haunting memories for Rachna Katyal, who lost her husband, Rupin, in the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814. In a tragic twist of fate, both she and Himanshi Narwal, whose newlywed husband Lt Vinay Narwal died in the Pahalgam attack, share a devastating bond — the loss of their husbands in terror attacks they were never meant to witness.

Rachna and her late husband Rupin had planned a honeymoon to Nepal, but they had deferred their flight by two days. That fateful decision led them to board IC-814 on December 24, 1999, a flight that would be hijacked by terrorists. Rupin, just 27 years old at the time, became the sole fatality in the hijacking. He was stabbed multiple times by the terrorists and later died from his wounds. His body was deplaned in Dubai, while Rachna remained unaware of his fate as she was held hostage onboard.

In 2025, Himanshi Narwal, newly married to 26-year-old Lt Vinay Narwal, also found herself caught in the crossfire of terrorism while on her honeymoon in Kashmir. The couple had initially planned a trip to Switzerland, but after their visa application was rejected, they decided on Kashmir as an alternative. Tragically, their honeymoon turned into a nightmare when Vinay was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.

The two incidents bear an eerie similarity. Both couples were not supposed to be at the scene of the attacks — Rachna and Rupin had changed their flight plans, while Himanshi and Vinay had switched their honeymoon destination. The fact that both tragedies involved young, newlywed couples adds an even more heart-wrenching dimension to their shared story.

Rachna, who now works with Air India, expresses how the Pahalgam attack brought back painful memories of her own loss, reports The Times of India. "It's like watching my past unfold again," she says. "The similarities are so striking, it reminds me of everything that happened to us 26 years ago. Everything is still vivid. We, too, changed our travel plans and were caught in the hijack."

While the passage of time has not dulled Rachna's grief, it has fueled her frustration with the ongoing problem of terrorism in India. "Such incidents continue unabated," she says. "Every time an attack takes place, it shows the failure of intelligence. The terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack have still not been caught, and it's a cause for concern. What happened to me can happen to anyone."

Rupin's memory continues to live on in Gurgaon, where a road near Iffco Chowk bears his name. His family maintains a presence in the city through a shop in Sadar Bazar and a house in Sector 14. Tragically, his father Chander Mohan Katyal passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic.

For Rachna, the terror attack on the Narwals has only added to her grief, as she reflects on the unending impact of terrorism on families like hers. "We live in constant fear that the next attack could hit anyone," she says. "No one is safe."

The Pahalgam attack serves as a stark reminder of the enduring brutality of terrorism and its helpless victims. Two couples, 26 years apart, are forever bound by the tragic consequences of a terror attack that was never meant to touch their lives.