I first met Christina and Abhishek in Ladakh, a remote Himalayan region in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. They were teachers at the Moravian Academy, a primary school in Khalatse village. I had just quit my corporate job in Delhi and was joining the same school as a volunteer teacher.

It was a Sunday afternoon when I got there, panting under the weight of my bags. Christina was the first person I met.

“New teacher?” she asked cheerfully, as she came forward and reached for one of my bags.

I nodded, tired from the five-hour long drive to the village from the airport at Leh, Ladakh’s capital. She immediately ushered me into her room, made me a hot cup of tea, and then literally tucked me in for a nap. This, as I later discovered, is quintessential Christina. Her husband Abhishek, though less exuberant, is equally warm and friendly.

Many days into my stay at the school, I remember a conversation I had with her one evening.

(Please email me at bharsimran@gmail.com or buy my upcoming book for the rest of the story.)