Fog and dust merge into a gray haze as vehicles jolt along the uneven road toward the mountain peak. Every bump seems to echo the hardships of life here. At the summit of Shakhanatang hill lies Unakoti ADC Village, home to about 150 families spread across six hamlets: Tailengbari, Jayanbari, Barashichhara, Dhatuchhara, Lakshmichhara, and Madhuwal Para. The majority belong to the Halam community, with smaller populations of Darlong, Khasi, and Orang.