New Delhi, April 5 -- The village of Bhalkhi Majra in Haryana stood still on Friday as Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav, who died in a Jaguar fighter jet crash on April 3 in Gujarat's Jamnagar, was cremated with full military honors. Among the many present, it was the heart-wrenching voice of his fiancee, Saniya, that echoed most deeply-"Baby, tu aaya kyun nahi?" (Baby, why didn't you come?) she cried beside the tricolor-wrapped body of the man she was about to marry.

The solemn ceremony drew a large gathering of family, friends, and villagers, all united in grief and respect for the 28-year-old officer. Siddharth's father, Sushil Yadav, a retired Air Force personnel, performed the last rites, embodying the family's deep-rooted commitme...