Operation Safed Sagar, the Netflix series based on the Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War and the lives of the officers who fought it, has brought renewed attention to the men and women behind the conflict. Among the stories that have particularly resonated with viewers is that of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, the IAF officer who lost his life during the war. His wife, Alka Ahuja, has now opened up about the series, revealing how closely some of its most talked-about personal scenes mirror what happened in their real lives — from the coffee that became part of their marriage story to the Maruti Zen that arrived after Ajay’s death and the goodbye they never got to have.Ajay Ahuja was the Flight Commander of the Indian Air Force’s 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows, during the 1999 Kargil conflict. On May 27, 1999, his MiG-21 was hit while he was on a mission to locate fellow pilot Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa, who had ejected from his aircraft. Ahuja ejected safely but was later killed after landing. He was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.The series centres on the officers of the Golden Arrows squadron. Siddharth plays Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, while Jimmy Shergill plays Wing Commander B.S. Dhanoa. Amrita Bagchi plays Alka Ahuja, Ajay’s wife. The series also stars Abhay Verma, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina and Arnav Bhasin, among others.In a conversation with Brut India, Alka said watching the series was difficult because it took her back to 1999.“It was very difficult for me to watch. I felt like I had gone back to 1999. But at the same time, I felt good that people have liked the series so much,” she said.Alka also praised the makers for keeping the story close to reality.“They have made it really well. There are a lot of actual pictures in it. Unlike films, where things are often made up, this is very close to reality,” she said.Story continues below this adDid coffee really lead to Ajay and Alka’s marriage?One of the lighter scenes in the series shows Ajay’s fellow pilots asking him if it is true that he decided to marry Alka because she could make excellent coffee very quickly.Ajay confirms it in the series. When his teammates ask if he decided to get married over coffee, he explains that marrying her would give them more time to spend together.Alka confirmed that the story behind the scene was real. She recalled that Ajay had visited her home when the two families were considering their marriage. Before that, Ajay would often visit his parents in Sirsa and make coffee for them. It could take him nearly an hour.When Ajay visited Alka’s home, her mother told him that Alka made very good coffee.Story continues below this ad“Ajay said he thought I had gone inside for an hour. Instead, I came out in 10 minutes and had made very good coffee. He would always say that his coffee got us married,” Alka recalled.ALSO READ: ‘Will Dad never come back?’ Ajay Ahuja’s wife recalls son’s question, he wrote their names dailyDid Ajay’s teammates really come home for Alka’s food?Another scene shows Ajay’s fellow officers visiting his home because they want to eat Alka’s speciality. But before they can sit down for the meal, Alka gives them vegetables to chop, telling them that if they want her food, they will have to help prepare it.Alka said that scene too was rooted in reality.“There is truth in that. The bachelors used to come over and willingly join us. They would enjoy themselves. Someone would cut the vegetables, someone would make coffee,” she said.Story continues below this adShe also remembered the chaos that would follow when a group of bachelors gathered at their home.“You can imagine what the kitchen looked like — coffee would have spilled somewhere, tea somewhere else. But we really enjoyed all of it,” she said.The Maruti sceneAnother detail shown in Operation Safed Sagar is the Maruti car that is delivered to Alka after Ajay’s death.Alka confirmed that this too happened in real life.When they were in Bathinda, Ajay had been thinking about whether they should buy a house or a car first. Alka encouraged him to buy the car.Story continues below this ad“I told him, ‘Ajay, your service is going well now, so don’t think about buying a house. Buy a car. Your life is going on, you should enjoy it,’” she recalled.Ajay subsequently booked a Maruti Zen. However, he never got the opportunity to drive it. By the time the car was delivered, Ajay had already died. Alka said she did not know how to drive at the time and initially wondered what she would do with the car. But she eventually decided to keep it because it was the last gift Ajay had given her.“I thought, this is the last gift I have from Ajay. I have to keep it well because this was a gift from him,” she said.Alka used the car for many years before eventually replacing it after it completed 14 years.Story continues below this ad‘We didn’t meet after that’The series also showed Alka unable to say goodbye to Ajay before he left for Srinagar. Alka said the scene was true to what happened in real life.“I couldn’t meet Ajay at that time. He had to go to Srinagar. I packed his luggage, but he didn’t come home to take it. I sent it,” Alka said.Jimmy Shergill’s Dhanoa visits AlkaThe series also shows Jimmy Shergill’s character, based on Wing Commander B.S. Dhanoa, visiting Alka after she receives a petrol pump under a government scheme for the families of martyrs.Alka said her connection with Dhanoa continued even after Ajay’s death.Story continues below this ad“Whenever our squad gets together, we meet whenever we get a chance. And every May 27, I get a call from him. Whether he is here or in the US, wherever he is, I definitely get a call from him,” she said.May 27 is significant for Alka as it was the day Ajay died during the Kargil War in 1999.Alka’s son watched the seriesAlka also revealed that her son Ankur, who lives in the US, was eager to watch Operation Safed Sagar. She said she would share whatever information she received about the series with him.“He was desperate to watch it. Whatever information I received, I would share it with him. He watched the entire series, all the episodes,” she said.Story continues below this adAfter watching the series, Ankur told his mother that he liked it. “He said, ‘Mom, the series is really good,’” Alka recalled.Alka felt that watching the series helped her son revisit his memories of his father and understand his story better.