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'What's your name?' I asked the little boy. 'Askari,' meekly he replied, that too after much deliberation. His stark pink cheeks had a flush of blush. 'Where do you live?' was the first question that elicited an enthusiastic response as the 6-year-old timidly pointed out towards a house, standing discreet within a cluster of many. Yes, the entire Trespone village is visible when you are standing atop this majestic 18th century Imambara 'A shrine for Shia Muslims', which is not only the centre-point of the village, but also a sight impossible to miss for people cruising towards the more popular Zanskar valley on this newest addition to the list of Indian highways; National Highway 301, running between Kargil and Zanskar. The foundation stone of the Imambara was laid in 1715, when the king of Suru Valley, 'Thi Mohammad Sultan' invited scholar Syed Meer Ali from Baltistan (now in Pakistan) for preaching. A legend states how Syed Meer Ali chose a Bluish stone as the foundation, and when the villagers reached the spot the next day to begin construction, the walls of the Imambara were already up by 3 feet. After three centuries, the Imambara stands tall as the village's sole iconic site; having witnessed generations after generations, while being the only constant in their lives. It's so dear to Trespone that every time an important visitor or government official comes along, Imambara is where they are served tea and food. But, Imambara is not just the common drawing and dining room to the village, or just a place for delivery of a preaching ,or the gathering on Muharram, it also served as the shelter to many during the Kargil armed conflict of 1999. While India and Pak battled for the capture of Tiger Hill - a strategically crucial vantage point for their armies, Imambara was where many affected families from the nearby regions found a safe shelter, and their children, education. The Imambara could soon be a heritage site under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India. However, it is not something the villagers are looking forward to, for the regulated area laws will mean many of them losing their houses, and above that, the intimacy that exists when everything about the monument is totally their own. 'Can I have a look inside?' I asked. A coy smile on Askari's face. I repeated my question; soon I found him running towards his home he had pointed to, calling out for someone. In his enthusiastic sprint, a vivid memory of mine was drawn.