For 31-year-old Harjot Singh, an attempt to seek safety away from the war-hit Kyiv in Ukraine brought him under heavy fire and he thanks his lucky stars that he survived despite receiving four bullets, including one in the chest.
Recounting the horrid moments of February 27, Singh, a Delhi resident who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kyiv, said, "We were in a cab to Lviv. We were stopped at a barricade and suddenly it was raining bullets. I thought this is the end. I am alive by God's grace."
His anxious family members in Delhi heaved a sigh of relief after he regained consciousness a few days later and informed them that he miraculously escaped the firings.
The incident took place on February 27 when Singh, along with his two friends, boarded a cab for the western Ukrainian city of Lviv in a bid to escape Kyiv.
"I don't know what happened to the people I was with. If they made it or not, I have no clue. I thought I will not make it," Singh told PTI over phone.
Singh is enrolled in a language course at International European University in Kyiv.
For his family in Delhi's Chattarpur area, it was an equally horrid time as they did not have any idea what had happened to him.
"When he regained consciousness three days later, he was in a hospital with bullet injuries and a fractured leg. All his documents, including passport, are missing. He has no idea what happened to his friends," his brother Prabhjot Singh told PTI.
"Last time we talked on February 26, he said he is fine and will be back, and thereafter there was no communication. We were so worried. These past few days have been tough. We contacted every official but there was no help," he added.
Harjot Singh's father Keshar Singh, who followed the situation in Ukraine, said every time he saw bodies on TV, his heart sank thinking that of his son could be among them.
"There was no contact with him. I used to see dead bodies on TV and used to think my son is among them. My heart sank. We were so horrified and scared. But miraculously when he called on the fourth day, it was the same happiness I felt at the time of his birth. I request the Indian government to evacuate my son and thousands of students stuck in Ukraine," 67-year-old Singh said.
WATCH: Indian student recounts Ukraine horror
While speaking to news agency ANI, Harjot said he had not received support from the Indian embassy yet.
"I have been trying to get in touch with them, every day they say we will do something but no help yet," he said.
"It doesn't matter if you send a charter (plane) after death...God has given me a second life, I want to live it. I request the embassy to evacuate me from here, provide me facilities like a wheelchair, help me with documentation," he added.
Harjot Singh said that the day he suffered bullet injuries, he had gone to catch a train but could not do so.
"I went to board a train. I tried three-four times, but I could not board the train. In the end, we decided that we would hire a private cab. The fares of the cabs were high. We would have been charged nearly Rs 4,000 on normal days in the Indian currency. However, on that day we were asked nearly USD 3,000. We were three people and we shared the cab with equal contribution.," he said.
Russia launched its attack on Ukraine last Thursday.
To evacuate citizens from war-hit Ukraine, the Indian government have initiated Operation Ganga. However, the evacuation from the eastern part of the country has been a cause of concern as heavy violence in underway.
India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to the Russian military offensive.
According to the ministry of external affairs, nearly 17,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine's borders since advisories were issued over a fortnight back.
Russia on Wednesday said it is working "intensely" to create a "humanitarian corridor" for safe passage to Russian territory of Indian nationals stuck in Kharkiv, Sumy and other conflict zones in Ukraine following a request from New Delhi.
An estimated 20,000 Indian nationals, mainly medical students, reside in Ukraine.
With inputs from ANI
