It all started with a walk through the apple orchards of Shimla. The air was crisp, the hills still, and the scent of ripening apples filled the silence. But beneath that beauty was a story few noticed — crates of fresh fruit lying unsold, and a farmer staring into uncertainty. The world was paused by the pandemic. Markets were shut. Middlemen dictated unfair prices. And for the growers, years of hard work were withering on the tree.