As gunshots shattered the serene afternoon air in the lush meadows of Baisaran on Tuesday, five kilometres from Pahalgam hill town, panic gripped the visitors.

But in that moment of terror, a teenager from a nearby Gujjar settlement rose above the fear, becoming an unlikely heroine in the face of horror.

Rubeena, 16, known as the ‘Rabbit Girl of Kashmir’ for offering her pet bunny to tourists for a few rupees per photo, found herself at the heart of an unfolding tragedy. The young girl, who now works as a guide and helper in the Baisaran Eco Park, had accompanied a couple from Chennai just moments before the attack began.

“We reached the park around 2.00 PM,” Rubeena recalled.

“They made Maggie noodles, clicked some pictures, and suddenly—gunshots. At first, we thought they were firecrackers. Then we saw the chaos. People running, screaming. Pony-wallas shouting, ‘Run away!’”

That moment marked the beginning of one of the darkest days Kashmir has witnessed in years. The gunmen opened fire on tourists, killing 26 people. At least 17 others were injured in the........

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