Srinagar, May 2 -- April 30, 2014, is not just a date for me. It is a memory that returns each year with warmth and gratitude.

That day, the city was under strict curfew. Outside Modern Hospital, Rajbagh, there was uncertainty and silence, but inside the hospital, I waited for a moment that would change my life forever. The contrast between the unrest beyond those walls and the quiet anticipation within made every passing second feel heavier, as hope and anxiety intertwined.

By the grace of Allah, and owing to my duties at the time as a Sub Inspector in the Vigilance and Inspections Wing of the then Commercial Taxes Department, I was able to manage everything. For that, I remain deeply thankful.

When your mother was taken in for a caes...