Srinagar, June 13 -- Naranag is a village of stones and sky and silence. It sits tucked into the hills of Kangan, in Ganderbal district, a place where the ancient breath of temple ruins lingers among pine forests and the river Sindh curls like a song.

In summer, it hums with life. There are ponies clipping over trails. Tea stalls open early and sleep late. Young boys run alongside trekkers, offering directions or dreams. Women sweep porches of guesthouses. The whole village moves with the season, like a heartbeat in step with the footsteps of strangers.

But this summer is different. This summer, there is no sound.

It started far away, on April 22, 2025, in Pahalgam. A sudden attack. Violence, once again, breaking into the ordinary. And...