A year after 'ponywallah' Adil Hussain Shah died while trying to save tourists during the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, life has been anything but easy for his widow Gulnaz Akhtar.

Soon after losing her husband, who was the sole breadwinner of his family, Ms. Gulnaz moved back to her parents' house and started working to sustain herself.

"I was married to Adil for six years. He was the sole earning member of the family and took full responsibility for our 4-5 member household. Since his death, life has been hard," said Ms. Gulnaz, her voice heavy with grief.