India, May 11 -- As we trace the winding roads, climb misty hills, and meet the soldiers who call this unforgiving terrain home, we begin to understand the true cost of peace, the quiet dignity of service, and the powerful contrast between performative nationalism and the real courage of standing a post, writes GYANESHWAR DAYAL

As we prepare to leave Machuka in Arunachal Pradesh for the Indo-China border, there is a quiet thrill among us - the anticipation of witnessing firsthand how our borders are guarded, and what it takes to man some of the harshest terrains on Earth, where temperatures in winter can plummet to minus 50 degrees Celsius.

Our motorcade departs early. The road to the Palang border is smooth, winding through the hills i...