He would have been back in his 14 Furlong Colony home in Cantt, much earlier, had it not been for the injury he sustained under the brow during the rescue operation, for which he was undergoing treatment, earlier in a Mumbai hospital and later in Chennai.

"I have always cherished my journeys back home and being with my near and dear ones. But this time I feel mature beyond my years...I feel a lot more responsible and my outlook towards life has changed," says Amitendra, as he recalls the day his group reached the site of the attack at Hotel Oberoi in Mumbai.

"We moved from the 21st floor to the 18th, opening each of the 33 rooms on each floor with the master-key and rescuing occupants," he reconstructs the episode, adding, "It was from the last rooms on the 18th floor that someone fired and an exchange ensued. Five fighters from our group, including myself, were injured, but, by God's grace, we all survived." A splinter shot diagonally through his eyebrow, towards his brain, damaging an optical fibre.

"Doctors say it will take some time for the wound to heal after which they will try to remove the splinter," the brave soldier smiles, admitting that it does hurt at times.

After news of his Lucknow connection came to light, the Army sent a representative to his home offering all assistance to the family and requesting them to inform the them about Amitendra's arrival. But on Thursday, Amitendra arrived unannounced as he shies from any honours.