A dimly lit bedroom, early morning. The soft sound of an alarm clock cuts through the stillness. Teja’s heart raced; today is the day. He had been planning this for weeks, a surprise birthday trip to Ladakh for his wife. After a year of ups and downs, he hoped

I remember the smell of the earth as we hit the road- dust, petrol, and freedom mixed into the air. Leh was still waking up when we kicked off our bikes. The sun hadn't fully risen, but we had! I looked around at my 11 other friends- eyes bright, hearts