Little did Naib Subedar Karnail Singh knew that he will not be able to keep up his promise to visit his family on a "short leave" in a few days while making his a last phone call to them.
As the Army brought home the body of the brave-heart, who was killed in yesterday's Uri terror attack, wrapped in tricolor, his family members said death prevented him from keeping his promise when he made the last call to them on Saturday.
A pall of gloom descended on Shibu Chak in Bishnah tehsil of Jammu district which lost one of its sons, 48-year-old Singh, who among the 17 army men who lost their lives while fighting the terrorists who attacked the Army Brigade Headquarters in Uri sector of Baramulla district yesterday.
After a 'guard of honour' and 'gun salute', Singh's mortal remains was consigned to flames with full state honours at his native village, where over 6000 people had gathered.
Youngsters were present at the function chanted 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Ramesh Chaudhary Amar Rahey' while family members lit the funeral pyre of the martyr.
"My father had called me from Uri on Saturday last to tell that he will meet us when he would come to home on a short leave in few days as his unit was shifted to Pathankot," Singh's son Arun said.
"But he has failed to keep his promise," he added.
The soldier left behind his mother Ratna Devi, Geeta Devi and his three son Anmol, Arun and Shivam. While Anmol is studying in First year of Degree course, Arun is a student of class 11th and Shivam is class I.
People of Shibu Chak village felt proud of their son over his bravery making them proud as well as with his martyrdom by foiling terror attack and killing a terrorist in retaliatory firing.
"He has made the village a proud with his martyrdom. We heard he was on who fired back first and killed a terrorist", Madan Lal a villger said.
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