India, April 22 -- In an idyllic village in Anantnag, a family still grieves for a son. But, on Tuesday, they were moved to tears. They received the keys to a new home given by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who fulfilled a promise on behalf of Syed Adil Hussain Shah, the ponywallah martyred in last year's Pahalgam terror attack.

Just 30 years old, Adil was the only local slain in the attack that left 25 tourists dead on April 22 last year. He was shot point blank while trying to snatch the rifle from one of the terrorists, who fired at the tourists after ordering them to identify their religion.

Adil's family will never know what went through the young man's mind in those final moments. But when he reached for that ri...