Station Announcement:
"Passengers climbing beyond breath: altitude sharpens truth, weakens lies, and exposes the heart."
The morning in Mahendranagar arrived quietly, as if the world itself was preparing for the long ascent.
Mist draped across the rooftops.The distant Himalayan ranges glowed faintly gold as the sun touched their peaks.Birds circled overhead, their calls echoing like old messages carried on the wind.
The group stood outside Jeevan's house, adjusting backpacks, securing jackets, tightening laces.
Kannan held Akshay's sketchbook against his chest — a heartbeat he never stopped listening to.
Arun, beside him, wrapped an arm around his shoulder without saying a word.
Sara packed medicine and blankets with practiced hands.
Nish carried maps and the green notebook from the boy who had escaped.
Arjun checked rope lengths and climbing hooks.
Basil watched the mountains with a mixture of fear and fascination.
Ravi stared quietly, jaw clenched, knowing the path ahead was one many children never returned from.
Rohit and Leena helped distribute supplies.
Jeevan stepped out last.
He carried nothing but a walking stick and a quiet, unshakable resolve.
"We are not just climbing," he said, voice steady."We are retracing the path of stolen childhoods."
Kannan closed his eyes.
"And the path of my son."
Jeevan nodded.
"Let's go."
1. Into the Foothills
The first part of the journey wound through dense sal forests.The earth smelled of damp leaves and pine.Every few minutes, Jeevan pointed to narrow, hidden trails.
"This is where Rana's men moved the children," he said."They avoided the main roads. Always the shadows."
Arun scanned the paths quietly, imagining a thin boy walking these same steps years ago — tired, feverish, hopeful.
At a clearing, they paused for water.
Kannan took out Akshay's drawing from Uttarakhand — the one showing a track leading into mountains.
He whispered:
"He saw these same peaks…He walked toward them…"
Sara touched the drawing gently.
"He was brave.Too brave for his age."
They continued climbing.
The forest thinned.The path steepened.The air cooled.
2. The Bridge of Ropes
By noon, they reached a narrow valley split by a raging river.
A rope bridge stretched across — frayed, swaying, boards missing.
Ravi's eyes widened.
"Children crossed this?"
Jeevan nodded.
"Yes. Often at night."
Kannan felt his heart twist.
"My boy… walked on that…?"
Jeevan placed a steady hand on his shoulder.
"He survived it. You will too."
Arun tested the ropes.
"They're old," he murmured. "But strong enough."
One by one, they crossed.
Basil clutched Arjun tightly.
Kannan froze halfway, vertigo hitting him — the river roaring below like every fear he'd ever held.
Arun crossed back toward him.
"Kannan-ettan," he whispered, pressing their foreheads together,"look at me, not the river.Your son crossed this.You can too."
Kannan nodded, breathing hard.
Together, they made it across.
3. The Hidden Marker
Beyond the bridge, Jeevan stopped suddenly.
"Look," he said quietly, pointing to a rock surface partially hidden by wild grass.
On it was a small, carved symbol:
A circle.
Arun inhaled sharply.
Sara whispered:
"Akshay's symbol…"
Ravi knelt, touching it gently.
"He drew this," he said softly.
"He marked his path."
Leena murmured:
"He was leaving signs…hoping someone would follow…"
Kannan touched the symbol with trembling fingers.
"My child…you left me a path through the mountains."
He cried quietly — tears that fell onto the circle, merging with the stories carved into stone.
4. The Cliffside Trail
The trail narrowed into a ledge barely wider than a grown man's foot.
On one side — a sheer drop into clouds.
On the other — jagged cliffs.
Jeevan walked ahead with calm steps.
"Rana's men forced the children to move quietly here," he said."One slip would have revealed them. Or killed them."
Kannan swallowed hard.
"My son walked this ledge," he whispered, breath unsteady.
Arun placed a steadying hand on his back.
"And he survived.He made it farther than anyone expected."
Everyone moved cautiously.
At a midpoint, Nish inhaled sharply.
"What is that?"
On the wall was a faint charcoal drawing of a small umbrella.
Kannan gasped — knees weakening.
"He… he drew his umbrella…because he couldn't carry it anymore…"
Sara's throat tightened.
"He left it at Kalyan… but he carried it in memory."
Arun whispered:
"And that memory kept him alive."
5. The Shepherd's Warning
At dusk, they reached a stone hut near an open plateau.
A shepherd sat outside, repairing a woolen shawl.
He looked up as the group approached.
"Travelers?" he asked.
Jeevan nodded.
"We're heading toward Ghyaru Monastery."
The shepherd froze.
His eyes widened.
"That place…" he whispered,"is cursed."
Arun stepped closer.
"Why do you say that?"
The shepherd's voice shook.
"Because children were taken there.Many years.Every monsoon.People heard their cries in the night."
Kannan's face crumpled.
"Did… did you see them?"
The shepherd nodded slowly.
"I saw a line of children once…walking behind a tall man in khaki.Some crying.Some too tired to cry."
Kannan grabbed Arun's arm for balance.
Arun held him tightly.
The shepherd continued:
"There was one boy…a small one…who kept turning to look behind him.As if expecting someone to come for him."
Kannan broke into soft sobs.
"That's him," he whispered."That's my boy…"
The shepherd touched his shoulder gently.
"He wasn't alone," he said softly."He held another child's hand.He was comforting him."
Arun whispered, voice breaking:
"That is exactly who he is."
The shepherd pointed toward the north.
"The monastery lies beyond the ridge.But be warned —landslides have destroyed parts of the path.The mountain does not like being climbed."
Jeevan nodded.
"We will be careful."
The shepherd added one final detail:
"If you want to find what the children left behind," he said,"look for the three prayer flags.The boy with the soft voice tied one of them."
Kannan's breath caught.
"My son's hands… touched those flags…"
The shepherd nodded.
"They are still there."
6. The Night Before the Final Climb
They set up camp at the edge of the plateau.
Stars emerged slowly — first one, then clusters, then the entire sky blossomed into constellations.
The wind carried the chill of higher peaks.
Kannan sat slightly apart, staring at the mountains.
Arun joined him quietly.
Kannan whispered:
"He walked all this…alone…for me…"
Arun placed an arm around him.
"And you walk it for him now."
Kannan's voice trembled:
"Arun… do you think he's alive?"
Arun did not answer immediately.
He looked at the mountains — resolute, ancient, indifferent — and then at the man beside him, whose heart had climbed farther than any footpath.
"I think," Arun said softly,"that every sign he left means he wanted to be found.And someone who wants to be found…is still walking."
Kannan closed his eyes.
"My boy…I'm coming."
Sara watched from a distance, silent tears on her cheeks.
Ravi whispered a prayer to the mountains.
Jeevan sharpened his stick.
Arjun secured ropes for tomorrow.
Nish prepared the copy of the map.
The night grew colder.
The wind howled like old voices calling across time.
Tomorrow, they would reach the monastery.
Tomorrow, they would stand where Akshay once stood.
Tomorrow, they would face the truth hidden in the mountains.