In the quiet village of Hapat Nar, nestled in the shadow of Kashmir’s majestic hills, grief and pride now walk hand in hand. Here lived Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a 29-year-old pony driver who became the only local among the 26 victims of the brutal terror attack in Baisaran, Pahalgam. But Adil wasn’t just one of the many who lost their lives—he died a hero, trying to protect the tourists he had taken to the beautiful meadow known as "Mini Switzerland."

On Tuesday morning, Adil set out as he always did, tiffin box in hand, ready for a day’s hard work ferrying visitors on horseback. But his body returned home, wrapped in sorrow and soaked in sacrifice. One survivor recalled how Adil confronted the militants after her father was shot point blank. “He asked them why they were killing innocents,” she said. The answer came in the form of bullets—three of them. Two pierced his neck, the third his shoulder.

“He died protecting strangers,” said his father, Syed Haider Shah, with quiet dignity. “He would go to Baisaran and ferry tourists on a pony. He didn’t have his own pony, and the owner gave him Rs 400-Rs 500 a day for ferrying tourists. Last week, because of the rains, he hadn’t been to work for three days.”

According to reports, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on Wednesday, attended Adil’s funeral in Hapat Nar, paying his respects to the fallen son of Kashmir. In a post shared on social media, he wrote that he had visited Pahalgam to offer fatiha (prayer after burial) for braveheart Adil Shah, who was shot dead while trying to snatch a weapon from one of the terrorists in a courageous attempt to protect the tourists he had taken on horseback. He added that Adil was the sole breadwinner of his family and that his extraordinary bravery and sacrifice would always be remembered.

Hundreds gathered to bid farewell—family, neighbors, strangers, all united in their grief. 

“Our hearts are swollen with pride,” said Mohammad Ashraf Shah, a village elder. “Adil gave his life to save the tourists. This is what you call Kashmiriyat.”

Hapat Nar and its surrounding villages rely heavily on tourism. Almost every household has someone working as a pony handler, taxi driver, guide, or restaurant worker in Pahalgam. Wednesday saw shuttered shops, closed schools, night vigils, and silent protests across the region.

Ashraf, who runs a tourist cab, said that it wasn’t just an attack on people—it was an attack on their very livelihood, a bullet that pierced not just bodies, but their future.

As Kashmir mourns, Adil’s story lives on—not just in sorrow, but in the warmth of a community that refuses to let fear win. His bravery was not born of uniform or weapon, but of an everyday man who chose humanity over safety.

And in doing so, Syed Adil Hussain Shah became more than a name—he became a symbol of undying courage, of Kashmiriyat in its purest form.