Bhalakhi Majra (Rewari), Haryana: Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Flying Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav, who died in a Jaguar fighter jet crash in Gujarat’s Jamnagar on April 2, was laid to rest in his ancestral village Bhalakhi Majra on Friday. The 27-year-old’s last rites were performed with full military honours as grieving villagers, dignitaries, and family members bid him an emotional farewell.
The most poignant moment came when Siddharth’s fiancée, Saniya, broke down upon seeing his mortal remains. Struggling through tears, she repeatedly pleaded, “Just show me his face once.” Overwhelmed, she cried, “Baby, you didn’t come to take me… you promised you would.” The words left mourners shattered, many unable to hold back tears.
The couple had gotten engaged on March 23, with their wedding scheduled for November 2. Instead, Saniya stood before his coffin, clutching his photograph, her grief mirroring the collective sorrow of the village.
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Siddharth’s mother fainted upon seeing her son’s body, while his father, Sushil Yadav—a retired Army man—stood stoic but devastated. “My dream was to see him return home as Chief of Air Staff one day,” he said. “Every military father hopes for this. He was a brave boy, always pushing forward.”
The Yadav family has served in the armed forces for four generations. Siddharth, the eldest son, had cleared the NDA exam in 2016, trained as a fighter pilot, and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant two years ago.
As the cortege arrived, hundreds from Bhalakhi Majra and nearby villages gathered, chanting patriotic slogans. IAF personnel presented Siddharth’s mother with his cap and a framed portrait—a small consolation for an irreplaceable loss.
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The tragedy has cast a shadow over the Yadavs’ newly built home in Rewari’s Sector 18, meant to host his wedding. Instead, it became the site of unbearable grief.
Siddharth Yadav’s sacrifice has left a nation indebted—and a fiancée, a family, and a village forever changed.
