Jaipur: When Neeraj Udhwani and his wife Ayushi travelled to India for a friend’s wedding in Shimla, a trip to his hometown Jaipur wasn’t part of their plan. Instead, after attending the wedding, the couple—married for just over two years and living in Dubai—decided to visit Pahalgam in Kashmir. According to Neeraj’s uncle, the 33-year-old loved exploring new places.
On Wednesday evening, Neeraj returned to Jaipur—in a coffin. He was one of 26 people, most of them tourists, killed in a terror attack on 22 April, when terrorists associated with a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot gunned them down one by one.
“He loved travelling, he was full of masti (fun),” said Dinesh Udhwani, Neeraj’s uncle, adding that his nephew had recently been to Georgia and other places he couldn’t recall. “He had a great nature and loved exploring. That’s why he wanted to go to Pahalgam.”
Neeraj and Ayushi were scheduled to leave Jaipur on Friday for Chandigarh, from where they would have taken a flight back to Dubai—where he worked as a finance manager at Cognita Schools, a UK-based education management firm.
“People there (in Dubai) knew him as Neeraj, but we called him ‘Monu’,” said Shubhi, Neeraj’s sister-in-law, her eyes heavy with grief. “All I can say is, he lived his life with a full heart. He’s gone too soon.”
Also read: ‘Khoon ka badla khoon’ at Shubham Dwivedi’s funeral. All you need is love, his last FB post
Friends, family and politicians at funeral
At 9:30 am on Thursday, Neeraj’s body was taken from his mother’s residence in Model Town to the Jhalana crematorium, accompanied by grieving family and friends in a garlanded, golden-coloured truck.
Outside the crematorium, a large group of police officers stood guard, joined by media personnel, local officials, and curious onlookers. Waiting under a makeshift tent was Somya Gurjar, mayor of Jaipur Nagar Nigam (Greater).
As the truck approached, a hush fell over the area. The silent procession inched slowly toward the crematorium gate. Camera shutters clicked as journalists climbed onto park benches and road dividers for the perfect shot.
When the truck reached the gate, someone in the crowd finally broke the silence. “Neeraj Udhwani amar rahe (Long live Neeraj Udhwani).” The chant continued for a minute as others joined in—until the man’s voice faltered.
After garlanding Neeraj’s body, family members carried him to the funeral pyre. His wife Ayushi and mother Jyoti were inconsolable, burying their heads in the shoulders of relatives nearby as Neeraj’s brother Kishore lit the pyre. Onlookers watched in silence as the fire crackled. The man who had been chanting earlier tried to begin again, but a family member asked him to stay quiet.
After the cremation, the family returned to Model Town. Outside their residence, the carpeted space that had earlier been filled with visitors now lay empty. The few who returned from the cremation arrived in small, whispering groups.
Also read: Navy officer Vinay Narwal’s family wants the media out—‘Please don’t ruin our reputation’
Life of the party, gone too soon
Shubhi remembered how Neeraj was a people person, gifted at building relationships and always showing up for his friends. He was the life of the party at weddings. His own wedding to Ayushi had taken place in February 2023 in Pushkar, Rajasthan.
Neeraj spent most of his life in Dubai, according to his uncle. Though born in Jaipur, he had moved early to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where his father ran a textile business. He completed his schooling at the Indian High School in Dubai, before briefly returning to Jaipur to earn a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Rajasthan.
“After college, he moved back to Dubai,” said his uncle, who recalled raising his nephew in his own lap when Neeraj was a child. “He even completed his chartered accountancy degree in Dubai.”
According to Neeraj’s LinkedIn profile, he qualified as an accountant under the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) before holding various finance roles in Dubai. His most recent position was as a finance manager at Cognita Schools.
Neeraj’s father, Pradeep, passed away 10 years ago. His mother Jyoti then returned to India to live with her elder son Kishore in Model Town. On the day of the cremation, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma visited their home, accompanied by other political leaders.
Neeraj was happy building his life in Dubai. He had no plans to move back to India—at least, that’s what he told me.
“They didn’t have any children, but they recently got a dog,” said a friend, referring to the white Maltese they named Truffle. Most of Neeraj’s friends, arms around each other, wept as they took turns consoling Ayushi. “He was happy building his life in Dubai. He had no plans to move back to India—at least, that’s what he told me.”
Below the apartment building, an onlooker from a nearby office asked Dinesh about the attack and whether Ayushi had witnessed it, drawing disapproving looks from other family members.
“They were singling out the men and killing them indiscriminately,” Dinesh replied, visibly distraught. “They shot him in the side, in the head.”
Mourners began leaving Jyoti’s residence in small groups, too overwhelmed by grief to say much about Neeraj’s life. According to Dinesh, several of Neeraj’s friends had flown in from Dubai to attend the cremation, which shows how much he meant to them.
The weight of his absence hung heavy in the building’s compound. Some of his friends, suitcases in hand, prepared to return to Dubai. Dinesh, hands clasped in prayer, went back upstairs to be with Jyoti. For those who loved him, ‘Monu’ was taken far too soon.
Udit Hinduja graduated from Batch 1 of ThePrint School of Journalism.
(Edited by Prashant)