Battal Sector, Azad Kashmir: On a dusty, uneven patch of ground beside the Poonch River, the rhythmic thud of a volleyball hitting palms and sand rose above the late afternoon quiet.
It’s a familiar sound in the border village of Jhawara, located in the Poonch district of Azad Kashmir, the part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that is governed by Pakistan. But until recently, it had fallen silent under the roar of artillery and gunfire.
Just weeks ago, the area bore the brunt of intense cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan. The Line of Control (LoC), a jagged and heavily militarized de facto boundary slicing through the disputed region, once again became a flashpoint for conflict, forcing families into hiding and pausing everyday joys like this daily volleyball match.
Now, with a tenuous ceasefire in place since May 10 — brokered with help from Washington — the boys are back on the field.
For them, the return to play is more than a pastime. It’s an act of defiance, remembrance, and quiet hope.
