Far from the frenetic pace of urban life, Namche Bazaar lay nestled at an altitude of approximately 3,440 meters (11,286 feet) within the heart of Sagarmatha National Park. This remote market town, cradled in a horseshoe-shaped valley and flanked by towering peaks, was a hidden gem amidst rugged terrain. Steep hillsides, cloaked in pine and rhododendron forests, provided a breathtaking backdrop. Trekkers from distant lands filled its narrow streets, their vibrant energy breathing life into this secluded mountain haven.
One chilly morning, a foreign male trekker spotted three little boys running with smiles and laughter, each carrying a big burned and damaged rice cooker. Mesmerized and delighted, the trekker pulled out his mobile and began filming. He stepped into their path, eager to chat with them.
The boys, in a hurry, dodged him and ran off giggling, casting amused glances at the foreigner. One boy stopped, his cheeks red with a smile. The trekker, thrilled, turned to his guide.
"Excited for school today?" he asked, hoping to engage the boy.
The guide translated into the native language. The boy grinned, balancing the cooker with one hand. "Yes," he replied simply.
"What's your name and how old are you?" the trekker inquired warmly.
The boy smiled and answered, "My name is Lhasa. I am 5 years old."
Before the conversation could continue, the school bell rang, and the boy hurried off towards the school where the 2 boys were waiting for him from afar. The trekker, touched by the encounter, decided to upload the video to YouTube with the title "Cute Himalayan Boys." It garnered only a few views at first but would eventually reach over a million after eight years.
The town has become much more developed and filled with trekkers. Sellers are profiting more from selling their herbs and trekking appliances and tools. On the other hand, Teen Lhasa and his friends are running towards the school grounds late as always, they spot Miss Lata waiting for them from a distance. Lhasa slowed his pace instinctively, motioning for his friends to be discreet. But before they could sneak past, Oda couldn't resist calling out to Lhasa, drawing attention to them.
"Oda, quiet down!" Lhasa whispered urgently, trying to stifle his laughter.
Kodam, always up for a prank, grinned mischievously. "Hey, Kodam, why don't we fool Miss Lata for around a period ?" Oda suggested with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Kodam nodded eagerly and veered off towards a nearby field. He threw himself to the ground dramatically, clutching his knee as if in pain.
"Ouch! My knee! I think I've hurt it!" Kodam exclaimed loudly, hoping to sell the act.
Oda, catching on, rushed over, feigning concern. "Miss Lata! Miss Lata! Kodam is hurt!" he called out, gesturing towards Kodam lying on the ground. Miss was just staring at them as if she knew what they were planning and Kodam was proud inside and muttered "I'm pretty good at this. Maybe I should be an actor." suddenly a large shadow of a bald fat senior teacher came out of nowhere.
"What's going on here?" Mr. Tenzeng demanded, his voice sharp.
Kodam loses his acting skills along with his chills. Seeing Kodam in chills he muttered Shit plan failed Oda says from inside and he plans to prank Tenzeng instead to show him who they are. He tells that" Kodam is hurt as he is tripped in a stone here" pointing his hand to the real shit. The bald teacher became mad and chased the boys to the ground.
Miss Lata was seeing that moment and was laughing seeing them. Lhasa casually greets his Miss and walks towards the classroom with her.
Miss Lata asks him "Did your parents permit you to change the class? ""
" No," Lhasa says.
Did you give them the letter?" Miss again asks.
Lhasa says, "Yes, But Mother doesn't agree with you so she didn't even dare to glance at it''.
She becomes quiet for a second and says " Then, Can I come to see your parents? " but Lhasa hurriedly enters his classroom and sits at the last bench. Two boys hurriedly walk past her, chatting and trying to catch their breath.
" Thank god! The principal came at right time otherwise we would have been doomed by that baldy."
The teacher sees Lhasa bright and happy with his 2 friends and thinks even he doesn't want to change his class. Eventually, the boys start making too much noises and she starts class scolding 3 of them as a warm-up.
Miss Lata stood at the front of the classroom, her voice filled with enthusiasm as she posed a challenging math problem to the students. The other children furrowed their brows, some scratching their heads in confusion, while Lhasa sat calmly at his desk, his gaze wandering around the room.
"Lhasa, can you solve this problem for us?" Miss Lata asked, hoping to engage him. She knew he had a knack for numbers, but he often seemed disinterested in showcasing his abilities.
Lhasa blinked, focusing back on the teacher. "Sure, Miss ."
He began solving the problem aloud, his voice steady and confident. His classmates watched in awe as he effortlessly manipulated numbers, breaking down complex equations with ease. Miss Lata couldn't help but smile, proud yet concerned.
"Lhasa, you're excellent at math," she praised.
Lhasa's face lit up with a rare smile as Miss Lata praised his math skills. Seeing his smile everyone becomes awed and some are jealous except his close friends as they know what this smile can do.
"Now, everyone, let's try to solve it on our own," she instructed, hoping to redirect the class's attention away from Lhasa.
As the students worked on their problems, Lhasa leaned over his desk, doodling absentmindedly on a piece of paper. One classmate name Wang turns backward and tells him while his friends, Oda and Kodam, nudged him discreetly.
"Lhasa, why do you always make it look so easy?" Wang whispered, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Lhasa shrugged nonchalantly. "I just like numbers, I guess."
"Yesterday you told me you like Phylum, the day before yesterday you like Nature and now Numbers. What are you saying", Wang questions disturbing Oda.
"Just look forward and solve your question. It's easy even I can solve it . Just go".
and Wang looks forward to being dissatisfied.
Kodam leaned in closer. "Could you help me with this?"
Lhasa glanced at Kodam's paper and explained the steps in a hushed tone. Kodam nodded, trying to grasp the concept.
Miss Lata observed from her desk, a mixture of pride and concern tugging at her heart. She knew Lhasa's potential was far beyond what he showed in class. Yet, she also understood his desire to fit in, to be like any other child.
After a long day at school, Oda and Kodam, Lhasa's closest friends, eagerly awaited the sound of the final bell. Their bench was empty except for Lhasa, he was writing notes from the book and also covering the empty last bench as they all had packed their bags holding their cooker, and making sounds telling the bell please to ring.
Their prayer was heard by God, and the bell suddenly rang. They quickly get out of their benches, but Miss Lata stops them, calling Lhasa's name.
Oda and Kodam sign "Again "
Lhasa walks up to her and Miss shows up with the book "Advanced Biology".She tells him to turn around and puts the book in his bag.
"Make sure to read it at home".
Lhasa says Yes! and leaves the classroom with happiness and catches up with his friends waiting for him at the school gate and 3 set out their journey to their home approximately 500 m high away from the School.
3 walk past through other two villages and to avoid being late they sneakingly bend while walking past some elder lecturing house. Then, they walk through a barren road in a completely desert area with little vegetation and full of rocks and barren land. 3 Boys rest there for some time at their checkpoint at the edge of the valley. They have put a stick with an old rag t-shirt as their flag.
With their backpacks slung over their shoulders, their chatter starts.
Kodam speaks "What did Miss Lata put in your bag? ""
Oda says " It's the letter same as yesterday."
"No, it's not," Lhasa says.
"It's just a book" takes out the book and passes it to Kodam.
Kodam analyses the book and verifies "It's different than the senior school book that we have stolen for Lhasa. "
"Maybe from the capital flipping the pages."
and suddenly notices +2 LEVEL and says Ohh! with a disgusted and feared face while Oda ignores the book. Lhasa smiles and mutters as expected and puts the book in his bag.
Oda sighed, kicking a small pebble ahead of him. "I want to become rich and live in the capital with my mother," he confessed, glancing at Lhasa and Kodam.
Kodam blurted out with exaggerated enthusiasm, "Aaa! And I want to go to the foreigner's country with you guys and act all like them, you know?"
He struck a pose, attempting a clumsy imitation of a stereotypical tourist. "Can you tell me, where are going? Why are you so cute? Ohh wow," He added, attempting a foreign accent that sounded more comical than convincing.
Lhasa and Oda burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs as Kodam's antics entertained them. Lhasa teased, "Kodam, your English is almost as good as your pranking skills!"
Oda chimed in between laughs, "Yeah, Kodam, you'd fit right in with the tourists!"
Kodam grinned proudly, basking in his friends' amusement, "Hey, I'm practicing for when we make it big and travel the world!" "
"But to do that, I have to study hard, ughh, and I don't like studying. It's so boring," Kodam lamented, pulling a mock-serious face. He then quickly broke into a grin, his eyes lighting up with mischief. "You guys will help me, right? With big happy faces!"
Lhasa grinned reassuringly. "Don't worry, Kodam. We'll help you with study. We can do it together," he said, his voice filled with determination.
Kodam's face brightened at Lhasa's offer, a sense of relief washing over him. "Thanks, Lhasa. That means a lot," he replied, genuinely touched.
Oda stood up and nodded approvingly. "Yeah, we're a team. We'll support each other," he chimed in, his loyalty to his friends evident.
The boys rose from their resting spot and began walking together towards home. As they continued their journey, exchanging smiles, their bond was strengthened more by their shared aspirations and commitment to each other.