During our trip to Leh, my then-girlfriend and I often found ourselves wandering through the local markets. While many travelers rushed toward the next destination, we felt drawn to slow down and experience Leh a little more deeply.
Every day, we walked nearly 2-3 kilometers on steep, metallic hills — a tough but beautiful challenge at such high altitudes.
During one of these walks, we met some wonderful local women in their mid-40s who worked at the market, selling fresh fruits and vegetables.
At first, they were shy and hesitant to talk to us — we were obvious outsiders and didn’t speak their language well.
But after a few warm smiles and clumsy attempts at conversation, we slowly broke the ice.
They opened and shared pieces of their lives:
They had families, children who studied at local schools, and husbands who often worked in the travel business.
After finishing their household duties, these women would come to the market with homegrown produce, earn a little for the family, and then head back at dusk to cook meals for their loved ones.
One evening, they even gave us some fresh fruits to eat — refusing to take a single rupee from us.
Through them, we learned one of the most important lessons of our lives:
Life is what you make it. It’s about putting in your best efforts for yourself and your loved ones. If your husband is in a bad mood, give him space. If you are upset, your husband will naturally take care of you. Children learn real love by watching their parents, not by listening to words.
Those humble women showed us the real essence of strength and resilience. Their strength was not loud or dramatic. It revealed itself in everyday acts of care, responsibility, sacrifice, and quiet determination. They balanced family, work, and community with a grace that left a lasting impression on us.
That day, I understood something deeper:
Life is nothing but thoughts. Feel positive, and happiness follows. Feel negative, and anger follows.
It turned out to be one of the best days we spent with locals.
We stayed in Leh for seven days and returned to that market daily, sitting and talking with those wonderful women for hours — learning more about life than any book or lecture could ever teach.