New Delhi, April 27 -- Javed Ahmad was busy booking rooms at his 20-room hotel in Pahalgam until April 21. His routine, however, suddenly changed, and for bad, on April 22 when terrorists struck in Baisaran Valley - a few kilometres away from his hotel overlooking pristine Lidder river - killing 26 people, mostly tourists.

"Have been busy refunding money since then to those who had rooms booked in our hotel," Javed told LiveMint on phone. Javed runs a hotel in Pahalgam hill resort on the road to Chandanwari, the last point on the motorable road to the Amarnath cave.

We had advanced bookings until May, said Javed. "We usually take 25 per cent of the cost in advance. I have to reimburse about Rs.4 lakh for May," he said, expressing shock ...