The crisp Bay Area morning welcomed me as I stepped out of the car, the earthy scent of damp leaves drifting through the air. My weekend hikes were sacred, a time for reflection, solitude, and a chance to reset. As I made my way toward the trailhead, my playlist stirred to life, filling the quiet with familiar melodies from decades past. Then came the mischievous beat " एक आँख मारू तो पर्दा हट जाए ..." The infectious tune from Tohfa played, and a grin spread across my face. Nostalgia had snuck in, transporting me back to the days of summer training, when life had a rhythm dictated by train journeys, chemical formulas, and the quiet thrill of stepping into adulthood. It had been the end of our third-year studies when the training and placement department assigned Sridhar and me to Kolhapur Sugar Mills. The factory sat deep in Maharashtra, and the only way to reach it was a grueling 24-hour train ride from Nagpur. W...