Summary

A unit of the Indian army, led by a Major, finds an unexpected act of kindness and faith in a remote Himalayan tea stall, which later turns out to be their own doing during a previous difficult ascent.

Abstract

Fourteen members of the Indian army, fatigued from an uphill trek in the harsh Himalayan conditions, stumble upon a locked tea stall behind a boulder. Despite initial hesitation, they break in to make tea, leaving money behind for the supplies. Months later, on their descent, they revisit the stall, now open, and learn from the shop owner that their act of necessity was perceived as divine intervention, reinforcing the power of faith and kindness in the face of adversity.

Opinions

The Major initially believes that stopping for tea is not possible due to the remote location, showing a pragmatic approach to the situation.
The soldiers' plea for tea indicates their human need for comfort and rest in the midst of a challenging environment.
The Major's decision to break into the store for the well-being of his team suggests a balance between ethical concerns and the urgency of the situation.
The act of leaving money behind under the sugar box reflects the Major's integrity and respect for the property of others.
The shop owner's gratitude and belief in divine intervention highlight his strong faith and positive outlook despite the hardships of living in a remote, harsh climate.
The soldiers' silence after realizing they were the unseen benefactors reflects a profound understanding of the impact of their earlier actions.
The Major's final interaction with the shop owner, leaving additional money and embracing him, underscores the shared human experience and the reaffirmation of faith across different perspectives.

How Faith Works

Faith is seeing the light with your heart when all your eyes see is darkness

Photo by Maninderjeet Singh Sidhu on Unsplash

Location: High in the Himalayas

Elevation: About 8780 feet

Temperature: About 5 deg Fareneheit (-15 deg C)

Fourteen members of the Indian army unit headed by a Major were walking uphill to the camp where they would reach over the next 24 hours to relieve the current team on duty. Exhausted from the non-stop four-hour uphill walk, sweating, the team was ready for a break. Except that the Major was not ready.

He marched on ahead. One of the soldiers slipped but quickly regained his footing. The linking chain yanked, and Major noticed. “What’s up boys? Low on gas, eh?”, he thundered. A couple of guys mumbled, “some chai, some tea is all we need. A cup of hot chai and we can rock for three more hours, sir”. Major looked into the distant hills, “Chai? Here? Not for the next three miles at least”. “Sorry boys, tough luck”.

But they got lucky. Not even half a mile and they saw a huge boulder with some painted directions, partly covered by snow. Behind the boulder, was an isolated small store fully made of wood and nicely packed with a series of mini boulders — all of the same size and similar in shape. The unit moved forward and looked closer. It was a tea stall but was locked.

The Major ordered everyone to move on. The boys pleaded “Sir, let’s just check and see if there is some tea”. The Major was not sure. Not an ethical thing to break into someone’s store. But if they did not make it, before dusk, they would be in deep trouble as a snowstorm was expected later that night.

They broke open the lock, went inside. Everything was in place and ready to make some hot chai. They even had some biscuits. The team cleaned up the place and were ready to leave. The Major came out last, leaving behind Rs. 3000 under the sugar box. “We are not thieves. We have used this facility and we shall pay back every cent and a little more”. The team moved on.

Four months passed. This team was now on its descent, way back to home base as a replacement team had arrived. As they were descending, they hit the exact same spot around the corner behind the boulder. And the store was right there. Except that this time, the store was open.

The team stopped for their tea. The store owner, a man in his 60s, had the most charming smile, and put up a smart ‘salaam saheb’ (salutation in Hindi). He prepared fresh tea and served the soldiers.

One soldier: “How do you manage to live here in this snow all the year?”

Shop owner: “Snow will last only 6 months sir. After that it gets really nice here”.

Another soldier: “Are you happy here with your family?”.

Shop owner: “Yes sir. I am very happy. The Lord takes care of us so well”.

Soldier: “What Lord are you talking about? If there was one, He wouldn’t let you struggle here like this”.

Shop owner: “No sir, don’t say that. There is a Lord, and he takes care of us. I know. And I can prove it”.

Soldier: “What proof can you give me?”.

Shop owner:” Sir, 4 months ago my young son, was beaten by some terrorists in this region. They thought he had some information. They left him to die in the snow. That evening, I came to the store to take whatever little money I had to take him to the hospital. When I came to the store, I was shocked. The lock was broken from outside. I thought I was doomed.”

“When I came inside fearing the worse, I could not believe it. God had come in, made some tea, and left behind Rs 3000 for me. That is more money than I need for a full month. Who else could have come to this remote mountain region and left so much money for me?”.

There was an eerie silence in the wooden store at that moment. Fourteen pairs of eyes looked into the Major’s eyes. You could hear a snowflake drop. The team did not utter a word.

Store owner continued, “Some more tea for you all, sir?”.

Quietly the soldiers trudged outside. The Major came out last, leaving some more cash on the table, warmly hugging the store owner for the last time.

“You are right, dear sir. There is no need to prove anything. He is everywhere. You should just keep the faith” he said, wiping a single tear off his eye.

About the author: Sridhar Pai writes on tech, startups, life, and self-improvement.