It has been a year since the terror attack that claimed 26 lives, including that of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal. For his family in Karnal, every day since April 22, 2025, has been a battle to cope with the irreparable loss.Vinay’s father, Rajesh Narwal, a superintendent in the GST Department in Panipat, has been the pillar of strength for his family. Controlling his emotions, he continues to support his wife, children, and aged parents.“Neither time can heal it nor can anybody forget it forever,” he says with a heavy voice.Vinay’s mother, Asha Narwal, has struggled with deteriorating health since losing her son. The family believes Vinay’s death is not just their personal tragedy but a loss for the entire nation.Rajesh Narwal acknowledges the government’s steps, including Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev, but insists that true justice will only come when terrorism is eradicated worldwide.“A tribute and justice to us and humanity will only be after terrorism is finished from the world,” he says.While recalling Vinay’s birth on May 1, 1998, when he was posted in Diu, he said, “We cannot forget him. He is in our breath. He started walking while holding my finger. It is painful for a father that his son died before him. His death is not only painful for us but also a loss to the nation. This pain will remain with us for our lives.”The family’s life has changed drastically. Rajesh admits he lost confidence after his son’s death.“I had made a list of over 30 works before Vinay’s marriage, but after his death, I have yet to do them. I cannot cope with the incident. We try to keep ourselves busy. His daughter Shrishti has begun preparing for UPSC and pursuing a PhD,” he said.The family says Vinay’s wife, Himanshi, lives with her parents in Gurugram and has re-joined a job.Despite their grief, the family remains committed to honoring Vinay’s legacy. Rajesh said he would donate any compensation he received from the government, along with Vinay’s share of the family property, if authorities establish initiatives in Vinay’s name that benefit society, such as hospitals or educational institutions.“I promised it earlier, and I stand by my words,” he said.He recalled Vinay’s social nature, his positivity, his dreams of family life, even the difficulty of finding shoes for his unusually large feet. “He had made plans for his future, but destiny had something different.”The Narwal family now seeks strength in carrying forward Vinay’s legacy.“We want to keep ourselves busy to take his legacy forward. We want to work for mankind,” Rajesh said, adding that they plan to organise blood donation camps in his memory on his birthday, like they organised last year after his death.