In the shadow of fear, high in the meadows near Baisaran in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, stood a symbol of unwavering courage -- a humble mud house and two teenage sisters who refused to run away when horror unfolded.
Rubeena (14) and Mumtaza (16), daughters of the Gujjar-Bakerwal community, became unexpected saviours during the Pahalgam terror attack, in which gunmen killed 26 people.
As panic gripped the region and tourists scattered in fear, the sisters chose not to flee.
Despite having a fractured foot, Mumtaza carried a tourist's child to safety. Together, the sisters rescued a couple from Chennai and guided many others through the rocky terrain, offering shelter, water, and hope from their modest home.
“At that moment, we didn’t think about ourselves,” said Rubeena, known as the ‘Rabbit Girl of Kashmir’ for offering her pet bunny to tourists for a few rupees per photo.
“We only thought about the tourists. They couldn’t walk; they were terrified. All they asked for was help,” she said.
“We gave them water at our muddy house,” added Rubeena. “We went back three times. Each time, we saw more people running, more people in need.”
Rubeena, who now works as a guide and helper at the Baisaran Eco Park, had accompanied a couple from Chennai just moments before the attack began.
Horror and panic unfolded on April 23 in the picturesque Baisaran Valley, often referred to as 'mini Switzerland', when terrorists shot dead 26 people, including foreign nationals.
