Srinagar, Dec. 5 -- The sun was relentless, pouring down over the valley in waves that felt almost alive. Sweat ran down my face, soaking my shirt, slipping into my hair, and I felt as though I had waded into a pond.

My luggage weighed nothing, but my mind felt burdened, as if it carried the weight of the mountains themselves. Each step forward under the blazing heat slowed me, my energy melting away like ice on the river. The road stretched on ahead, shimmering and distant, and my body begged for pause.

I spotted a chinar tree at the roadside, its wide leaves offering shade like a silent invitation. I sank to the earth beneath it, lifted my water bottle to my lips, and let the canopy shelter me.

The branches were alive with the tril...