Lt. Col. Niranjan E.K. with his wife Radhika. Lt. Col. Niranjan lost his life during the terrorist attack on the Pathankot air base in January 2015. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement more-in It is a year after the Pathankot attack on January 2, 2016. Today, as I pen down my thoughts and feelings, I remember the unknown fear that had engulfed me on 31st December 2015. That midnight, my youngest brother (late) Lt. Col. Niranjan called from his Delhi residence to wish me a happy New Year 2016. Before he transferred the call to his wife Radhika, his last sentence was “Chechi, take care”, something I shall forever remember and preserve in my heart. When TV channels broke the news of the attack on the Air Force Base, I started feeling extremely uncomfortable. On the night of January 2, with a lot of uneasiness, I called up Dr. Radhika at their Delhi residence. She mentioned that Niranjan had finished his work as part of the combing operation at Pathankot and would be back in Delhi on January 3, and that he would call me as soon as he returned. For the first time, I felt her voice choke. But she said, “Niranjan is fine and will be back soon.” On January 3, 2016, when news broke about my dearest brother's death, I was shocked, upset and angry. I was swamped with emotions ranging from failure and helplessness. It left me confused and restless. My brother was six years my junior. I had witnessed his life from childhood and what he went through from that tender age when we lost our mother Rajeshwari K.R. on January 15, 1986, when Niranjan was around five years old. My father E.K. Shivarajan remarried. We three children from his first wife - Sharathchandra, Niranjan and me - grew up as shy, introverted children who did not get to share our affection for each other overtly, but deep inside, had immense love and affection for each other. My fond memories of Niranjan are from our school days, when every morning I would walk him to the bus stop where the school van would pick him, before I could reach my school. He would ask a lot of silly questions on our way to the bus stop and I would give some vague answers. Once, he told me that three older boys from another school had been bullying and throwing stones at him while he walked the long path from Stella Maris School to 18th Cross Bus stop, Malleswaram, and that this had been happening for months. Furious, I confronted the boys and warned them that I would report to their school authorities and parents if they continued. Niranjan, on seeing that they were getting scared, told me to be kind to them and forgive them. That’s Niranjan. He never disliked or hated anyone, including the people who troubled him. I was very possessive of him, but as he entered engineering college, I could sense that he was slowly distancing himself, spending more time with his friends. I was shocked when he mentioned after his engineering course that he had decided to join the Army. I am sure Niranjan took this decision after interacting with his close friend Major Madhu. During his training days, we used to write letters to each other. That’s when I felt I got my younger brother back. He shared all his experiences, funny incidents, tough training practice sessions, his friends whom he had got close to and his worries, too. I remember writing letters to motivate him and not to give up as he was a tough fighter. He had immense will power, resilience and a good sense of humour. He believed in pushing himself beyond his limits. Niranjan married Radhika in 2013. In his words, there was no one else destined to marry him. On April 4, 2014, his angel, Vismaya Niranjan, was born in Kerala. That was the most beautiful, memorable and happiest day in his life. When he revealed that he had opted to join the NSG, I couldn’t help but think that the little boy whom I had protected in school had ventured into a profession that required him to protect the motherland. Once in 2015, I got to see a video of him diffusing bombs. I cried my heart out in my closed room. I watched my brother in that heavy Bomb Squad uniform, with conflicted emotions: I was proud of his selfless act, but I couldn’t help but feel nervous at the same time. His daughter, who lost her father at the age of 20 months, will grow knowing her father through his work and respect his sacrifice. His wife Dr. Radhika will live courageously respecting the fond memories of her brave husband and serve the community through her practice. My deep respect to those in the Armed Forces and NSG commandos who face death courageously every time they go to diffuse bombs. I salute all our Pathankot martyrs for their supreme sacrifice.

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