Srinagar, Oct. 7 -- I've spent years moving through Kashmir's roads, not just driving on them. Over time, they've started to feel like a mirror, reflecting the life, struggles, and stories of the people around them.

Horns dominate the landscape. A long honk seems to shout, "Move, or face the consequences." A short one carries anger, impatience, and assertion. And the endless blare, the one that never stops, feels like a declaration: this is my space and time.

Silence, when it comes, is almost disorienting.

Traffic rules exist, but they live mostly on paper. Red lights glow politely, but few obey them. Lanes are imagined, often ignored. Zebra crossings are more a courtesy to tourists than a guide for safety.

The streets operate on a ha...