Srinagar, April 17 -- Barbara heard it again last Friday, in a room filled with light and easy laughter. Someone called her a strong woman. It sounded like a compliment. She smiled, the way she always does, and let it pass.

Later that evening, she sat alone with her thoughts and turned the phrase over in her mind.

Strong woman sounded clean and complete, like a conclusion people had reached about her life. It left limited space for questions.

People saw her as someone who stood complete on her own.

Barbara had learned to live inside that idea. She worked, earned, spoke with clarity, and moved through the world with a sense of direction. She met deadlines, managed accounts, kept her home in order, and remembered every birthday. Colleag...