Srinagar, June 20 -- In early May, I travelled through border villages in Poonch, Rajouri, Uri. The visit came just days after the latest round of cross-border shelling ended as abruptly as it began.

There were no sirens, no briefings, no plans. Just silence, followed by explosions.

In Poonch, I met Sanjeev Kumar, a schoolteacher who no longer speaks in full sentences.

On May 7, before dawn, his family tried to flee after a night of tension.

His 13-year-old son, Vihan, had been anxious all evening. He solved a math worksheet to calm down. Minutes later, their car was hit by a shell.

When Sanjeev woke up, blood blurred his sight. His wife was unconscious. His son, gone. When he lifted Vihan's chin, part of the boy's brain was on his h...