Paying her husband an appropriate tribute, Nikita Dhoundiyal, the wife of Pulwama martyr Major Vibhuti Dhoundiyal, has joined the Indian Army. Nikita will be continuing the tradition of serving the nation that her husband started. On May 28, Lt. Gen. Y.K. Joshi, who heads the Indian Army’s Northern Command, pinned stars on Nikita Dhoundiyal’s uniform as she graduated out of the Officer’s Training Academy. Lt. Nikita has joined the group of 31 Short Service Commission woman cadets who passed from the institution as well.

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1. A Mournful Farewell
2. 25 Months Later – Martyr wife Nikita Dhoundiyal is now Lt. Nikita Dhoundiyal
3. Netizens unite in bestowing praise for Lt. Nikita

A Mournful Farewell

On February 16, the entire nation was swept in the wave of grief after 40 soldiers died in the Pulwama attack in Jammu & Kashmir. Less than a week after the incident, 4 soldiers underwent 18-hour gunfight against militants and were killed. Major Vibhuti Dhoundiyal was also among those 4 soldiers

Along with the nation, Nikita Dhoundiyal, wife of Major Vibhuti Dhoundiyal stood visibly shook & grief laden. Major Vibhuti was among several Indian soldiers who laid their lives in the Pulwama gunfight. Gut-wrenching images and videos surfaced online in which Nikita was seen standing beside her martyr husband’s coffin saying, “You said you loved me, but you loved the nation more.”

Nikita married Major Vibhuti just one year before the attacks and had spoken to the 34-year-old Major before he took the bus before it was attacked. “I spoke to him before he took the bus”, Nikita was heard saying. According to reports, the martyr major was supposed to come back home in April to celebrate his 1st year anniversary with his dear wife.

During the state-organized funeral, Nikita was seen asking the people around her to be strong rather than offer her sympathies. In a heartfelt farewell message that united the nation in anger and grief, Nikita was heard saying-

“I am really proud. We all love you. The way you love everyone is entirely different because you sacrificed your life for the people who you may have never met, but still you decided to give your life for them. You are such a brave man. I am very honoured to have you as my husband. I’ll love you till my last breath. I owe my life to you.”

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25 Months Later – Martyr wife Nikita Dhoundiyal is now Lt. Nikita Dhoundiyal

25 months after the incident, Nikita followed the footsteps of her husband and is now part of the Indian Army. On the Parmeshwaran Drill Square, Chennai, Lt. General Joshi was heard giving Nikita a heartfelt compliment in the simplest form “…I’m really proud of you”.

Lt. Kaul after her commissioning said-

“My journey has just started…I’d like to thank everyone who kept faith in me. My mother-in-law, my mother, and others who have been part of this journey.”

Following the death of his army man husband, Kaul swore an oath to not let go his husband’s death to waste and joined the Officer’s Training Academy, Chennai. After 11 months of blood, sweat and tear, she’s now a lieutenant, an Ordnance Corp of the Indian Army. She will be posted under the South Western Command.

On the eventful day, Nikita spoke a few words about her late husband and said-

“It’s like a parallel world. The day I stepped in, I felt that I am taking the same journey that he took. He is somewhere around here. Looking at me, holding me and saying, ‘you just did it’. I just love you Vibhu, I’ll always love you.”

Netizens unite in bestowing praise for Lt. Nikita

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