Srinagar, Oct. 17 -- In the bustling apple mandis of Sopore, the hum of traders' chatter, a quiet, unseen negotiation unfolds beneath the wooden tables draped in thick cloth. It's a decades-old practice - a secret hand language known only to apple dealers and buyers - used to strike the best possible price for the prized fruit without uttering a word.

Here, amid the clatter of crates and the calls of auctioneers, hands hidden beneath a shawl or piece of fabric move in subtle gestures. One trader's fingers press twice, another responds with three quick taps - a coded exchange known only to those steeped in the traditions of the valley's apple trade.

"This is our silent language," says Mohammad Shahbaz Bhat, a seasoned apple dealer from B...