Soldiers in Himachal Pradesh stepped in to fulfill the role of a brother at the wedding of a young woman whose own brother was killed in action earlier this year in Arunachal Pradesh. The bride, Aradhana, was married in her native Bharli village of Sirmaur district, surrounded by family, friends and members of her late brother’s regiment. Her brother, Ashish Kumar, had laid down his life during Operation Alert in Arunachal Pradesh in February 2024.
For Aradhana, the day was perfect in every way but for her brother’s absence. Yet his fellow soldiers and several ex-servicemen from Paonta and Shillai ensured his presence was felt.
The soldiers escorted the bride to the wedding mandap, a responsibility traditionally carried out by a brother, and stood by her side through the ceremony. Later, they also accompanied her to her in-laws’ home, completing the brother’s duty with full devotion.
As a gesture of affection and solidarity, the soldiers presented Aradhana with a fixed deposit as a wedding blessing. The gift, they said, was symbolic of the care and protection her brother would have offered had he been there.
The emotional moment moved many in attendance to tears. Wedding guests described the atmosphere as overwhelming, with the soldiers’ gesture filling the painful void left by Ashish Kumar’s sacrifice.
Ashish Kumar’s comrades said they considered it their moral duty to honour his memory by standing in as brothers for Aradhana. The regiment’s presence not only paid tribute to a fallen soldier but also underlined the deep bonds of the armed forces community.
