His nephew, home for the Eid al-Adha holiday, had brought along two university friends — one from scorching southern Pakistan and the other from Kabul, Afghanistan. They invited me for dinner at a local spot.

The three students, full of laughters, spoke of their summer travel plans: crossing the Khunjerab Pass into Tashikurgan, then on to Kashgar, Urumqi, and finally Beijing.

That night, the stars shimmered above the stillness of the snowy peaks. My journey was coming to an end, but the snowcapped peaks and glaciers as far as the eye could see, the rhythm of rawap music on the road, those smiling faces along the way, and the unexpected kindness — stayed with me.

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