Srinagar, April 9 -- Over the past 15 years, Dr. Altaf Lala (name changed) has buried countless desires and ambitions in the depths of his heart. His life, though outwardly composed, tells a far more complex and poignant story beneath the surface.

Recently we both were in Srinagar hospital to attend a common friend. After therasm-e-khabar,we went on a stroll to Dal Lake. It was a cold winter evening in Srinagar. The mist curled around the streetlights, and the air carried the familiar scent of burning wood from distant chimneys. Dr. Altaf and I walked slowly along the boulevard, his hands deep in his jacket pockets, his thoughts heavier than the damp winter sky. To any passerby, he looked like any other man lost in thought. But beneath h...