India, Feb. 19 -- The name is Diyun. I won't call it "my home city" as it hardly has any semblance of a city. It was once a vast expanse of impenetrable forests and jungles. Now, it's a quaint upcoming township located in eastern Arunachal Pradesh in the district of Changlang and so, I would rather simply call it "my place". This is where I was born. As with everyone else, one's place of birth always holds special significance and, by and large, defines one's core "who you are" and also perhaps where you finally end up in life. I can, however, vouch for the fact that the story of my place is intricately interwoven with my personal life's story.

The story of my place might sound strange and incredible but this is what it is. My place was ...