Kathua, Aug. 16 -- For eight years, silence surrounded the life of young Akshay Sharma, a boy from Duggan village in Kathua district. Born with a cleft lip and palate, he underwent surgery at the age of three but could not speak. His parents, weighed down by poverty, had all but abandoned hope of hearing their son's voice.

That silence ended when an Army doctor posted in the region came across the boy's condition. Moved by the family's helplessness, the officer conducted medical check-ups and discovered that with the right therapy, Akshay could learn to talk.

Since Duggan lacked any speech therapy facilities, the officer took it upon himself to learn techniques and train Akshay in his free hours. With patience and compassion, he guided ...