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I jumped off the rickety bus with an equal mix of excitement and foreboding concern. Bubbles of anticipatory excitement were due to finally arriving in the tiny Nepalese village marking the start of my journey. Following a full days hike, I would find myself at the top of a mountain that was home to a golden-hued monastery full of friendly monks welcoming a wandering visitor. The concern, however, was due to a young Nepalese man who seemed to have taken a keen interest in the blond foreigner sitting in the middle of the bus during the 3 hour ride. His constant staring had me unnerved, and now he had suspiciously followed me off the bus at this very remote stop. As I walked past the village's few street-side vendors, I tried to convince myself that I was being over-vigilant. Walking past the comfort of a public space down a lonely dirt road, I cautiously checked behind me. Deep inhale...he was still following me. Although I reminded myself that I've handled much more dubious scenarios in my own home city, I stepped up the pace. A young boy, around the age of 10, saw me walking behind him. Waiting for me to catch up, with bright eyes and a shy smile, he introduced himself (in surprisingly good English) as Arun. He asked if we could walk and talk together, with a glint of excitement in his eyes. Upon finding out that I was from the very same country that was home to his idol, Justin Bieber, he quickly launched with gusto into a serenade of "Baby, baby, baby". During his impressive solo, young Arun noticed the man following me and asked if I knew him. As I answered with a no, Arun grabbed my hand tightly and whispered "Walk faster, I don't like that man". My 10 year old protector practically grew 4 inches taller in that moment, clearly determined to keep his towering companion safe. At that time, several young men also drove by on their motorbikes, whooping and yelling in my direction. Arun, understanding what they were saying, was not impressed. He said me to me gently, with a warm concern in his eyes, "I am sorry, boys are not right in the head". This young boys' compassion slowly began to melt away the chill of concern that had enveloped me since the bus stop. However, I also suspected that this young warrior was bracing himself to take valiant action. With a feeling of great protection for him, it was clear that the 'stalker situation' needed to be dealt with before the road became even more remote. Having seen a small group of men and women on the other side of the road a few minutes back, I said a warm goodbye to Arun. Crossing the road, I backtracked towards them and towards a feeling of safety. The stalker unsurprisingly followed-suit, giving me the evidence that I needed to take action. Once I was close enough to the group, I began yelling at the stalker, demanding to know why he was following me. Effectively drawing the attention of the group, they intuitively knew that something was wrong, even if they had no idea what I was emphatically yelling. They surrounded the stalker, questioning him and checking his backpack. This immediately caused him to squirm under the angry scrutiny and he took off running in the opposite direction. I emphatically expressed gratitude, in my best Nepalese, to the kindness of these dear strangers. People truly always show up for you when you ask for help, I reiterated to myself with immediate relief. Up the road and around the bend, I surprisingly found Arun patiently waiting for me. He had clearly been watching the entire drama from his safe distance. He smiled joyously as I approached, "I am happy now" he stated as he mimicked the lightness in my own step. I joined my young protector, on this road lined with huge green trees and breathtaking cloudy mountains, on a journey in which I felt the opposite of alone. A fine duet of 'Baby, Baby, Baby' could be heard for miles until our paths naturally diverged.