NEW DELHI: When the body of Major Sashidharan Nair of the 2/1 Gorkha Rifles was brought to his hometown, Pune, on Sunday, among the many mourners attending his last rites was a young woman in a wheelchair. Her name is Trupti Nair, and she was Major Nair ’s wife.  

Trupti’s physical disability hides a tragic story of love, loss and a promise fulfilled. 

Maj Nair, who wanted to join the army right from his school days, was a 27-year-old Captain when he met Trupti. They were engaged within six months. But soon, Trupti was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease. Just before their wedding, she was paralysed below the waist, and relegated to a wheelchair.  

His friends and relatives advised him to call off the wedding, but he went ahead and “honoured his promise.” 

This tragic love story was revealed on social media by Lt Col Sandeep Ahlawat, a serving Armoured Corps officer. “The commitment and the unwavering promise of the officer to his fiance is simply beyond compare or unparalleled,” he recalled. 

According to one report, Nair had spent a month on leave with his family in Pune before he returned to Kashmir and had tried to allay concerns expressed by his wife. “Though Major Nair failed to keep his promise, Mrs Nair is part of the Army family, and we will all do our best to give her the strength to endure this massive loss,” pledged another officer. 

Memories remain
The couple led a happy life and Major Nair, ever the chivalrous officer and gentleman used to take the lady everywhere he went, Lt Col Sandeep Ahlawat wrote