BENGALURU: “My name is Bharath,” a 35-year-old Bengalurean said when a bunch of armed terrorists confronted him in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday. What was a matter for pride for techie Bharath Bhushan was enough for the anti-India terrorists to shoot him dead in cold blood.
Spoken aloud, Bharath is indistinguishable from Bharat that is India. The homonym proved fatal. He was shot in the head in front of wife, Dr Sujatha — a paediatrician at Ramaiah Hospital — and their three-year-old son. What was meant to be a peaceful family getaway ended in horror.
Back in Bengaluru, grief unfolded at Bharath’s house in Sundarnagar, Mathikere. His father Chennaveerappa, 74, learnt of his death only on Wednesday morning. “I read about it in a Kannada newspaper during my morning walk,” he told TOI. “My legs gave way. I didn’t know what to do. My family had kept it a secret from me and my wife.”
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Hours before he was gunned down, Bharath — fondly called Bhushan by family and friends — had called his father from Kashmir. “He showed me the beautiful views and told me they were heading to Pahalgam. I told him to stay safe. Then we ended the call, and I went back to my chores,” Chennaveerappa said.
By 3.30pm Tuesday, news of the attack began trickling in. Friends told Chennaveerappa that several people had died. “I was curious and asked my elder daughter-in-law to switch on the TV, but there was no signal. I asked her to fix it so I could watch the news, but she said her husband — my elder son Preetham — would do it later. The internet also wasn’t working, so I stopped worrying. She knew everything but didn’t tell me. I understand her pain.”
Around 7pm, Preetham told the family that Bharath was injured and that he was flying to Kashmir to bring him back. “Sujatha’s brother also went. They said it wasn’t serious, and they’d bring him home. The flight was originally scheduled to leave at 11am, but they finally flew out at 2am,” Chennaveerappa said.
At home, anxiety simmered. Chennaverappa’s wife, 72-year-old Shylakumari, grew uneasy. She began praying. “She asked me to join her. We solemnly pledged Rs 101 as harike for his safe return. But look what God did to our prayers,” he said.
Chennaverappa then called Preetham shortly later, who confirmed the news. “Bhushan was carrying his son, while Sujatha stood nearby. The terrorists asked him to hand over the child to her. Then they asked him his name. When he said ‘Bharath Bhushan’, they asked if he was Hindu or Muslim. When my son replied ‘Hindu’, they shot him,” Chennaveerappa said, sobbing. “I named him after the yesteryear Hindi actor Bharat Bhushan and King Bharat, who gave this land the name Bharat.”
By 10:15am Wednesday, Chennaveerappa’s sister-in-law from Indiranagar arrived and broke down. “My wife kept asking me why she was crying. My daughter-in-law and I tried to stop her from revealing the truth because my wife is a cardiac patient. But when I stepped into the washroom, she blurted it out. My wife screamed and her blood pressure shot up. Thankfully, she’s stable now.”
As the family braced themselves for the body to arrive, Chennaveerappa was seen instructing neighbours and volunteers while a pandal was erected in front of their house. “My son is gone. But the rituals must be done. Nothing can change that now.”
Vimala, Bharath’s mother-in-law, said, “I spoke to my daughter at about 2.40 pm — barely 10 minutes before it happened. They were married for four years. This is unfair. I don’t know how my daughter will cope.”
