Queen of virginity place!

window "ankhe jyal"

Door to bigger world

evening view!

Gurung lady offering shelter..

will follow u kamala..

Didi alikati tarkari rakhau? (An offer of vegetable curry)

A very soft voice made me look up to see who it was.  She was a pregnant Woman with glow on her face. Her face was partly covered with freckles. She was wearing a Nepali dress which we call cholo and phariya in red and her stomach was tighten with white thick cotton fabric.

Nai nai dherai bhayo malai; (no thank you, I had enough) I made a reply to the woman.

After the dinner I didn’t see her around. I thought to have a short talk to her but I didn’t get to see her. So I went to bed early to wake up early and start my work with the new fresh day.

 It was a lovely greeting of morning with the sunrays shimmering at the mountains. I could see the people in the boat fishing; they looked unbelievably tiny from a distance place where I stand. The fresh air awake my sleepy eyes, birds singing with the leaves of the tree in tune brighten my morning. I turned to an opposite side, I could see all those beautiful huts which gave me vibe that my coming days will be an exciting day to cherish, watching the people communicate from their tiny little windows which they call them ‘Ankhe Jyal’ in Nepali was something very usual for us but indeed a daily life activity for them, small kids from different age helping their parents get the milk to the market in the boat to bring handful of fresh crisp notes back home, the sound of the vessel of the milk container when they hit each other walking down the boat place made me amazed leaving  a smile on my face. I was very much happy to find myself surrounded by such breathtaking views right in front of my naked eyes and the tune of the language of the people were little different from what I have been  practicing and I was loving it. Oh Lord; I am lucky indeed to land myself in the land of ‘virginity’ and yes these hard working people for sure.

This is a serene place named ‘Smiley gaun’ which is also well known as’ Patley gaun’. It takes one hour of boating from the lakeside of Pokhara from the Hallen chowk where one can easily get boat on hire to get there for five hundreds just to drop there. But have to manage a boat from the beginning to return back or else can be manage from the village but have to pay.

It is indeed a peaceful place. Away from the hustle and bustle world one can easily catch the view of whole pokhara from there. The Sarangkot and the paragliding views are overwhelming to witness.

 In this place of virginity, there lives this woman who offered me some more ‘Tarkari’ for the dinner the first night. Her innocent face aroused me this will to write about her or I can say that her offer of tarkari for the dinner was a nice glimpse to get me in mood to write. Whatever had been the reason but I found her interesting woman to get to know personally.

Her name is kamala. She was a mother of a girl of 6 when I was there and recently I got this information that she has given birth to a baby girl again. Wow that’s beautiful news for me, now she has two Angels dancing in her garden to beautify her world.

This is about one evening I was in garden alone, feeling the touch of the air I was writing something in my diary. She showed up swiftly right beside me.

Didi, Pani parcha jasto cha! (Probably it will rain)

Looking at the sky, I made my comment ‘taita jaroo huncha hola hai’ (right is it going to be cold?)

I made her sit near me. The shawl I had wrapped around me was keeping me warm from the wind.

How is everything back in Kathmandu? She asked with little hesitation.

It’s good there. The heavy traffic is annoying as always. But can’t be better than pokhara isn’t it?

I don’t know, it’s been like more than nine years since I have not been in Kathmandu, so I wonder how it is now. I have almost forgotten everything about Kathmandu. If I visit Kathmandu now, i get lost in the city; she giggled.

Her daughter was disquieting our conversation and the little girl was shaking when she was running here and there. My eyes were on her stomach which was big enough like the baby can come out anytime. I was worried and I made the girl go off not bothering her anymore, at least not shaking. With the offer of an orange was fine to make the little girl go calm.

Kamala was placing her hand on her stomach. I could see the real woman in her. She was looking beautiful being in the stage of pregnancy. I was watching her only for few minutes.

What do you want a girl or a boy? I asked.

Khoi didi. , malai ta chori man parcha tara abha chora bhayo bhane malai alikati sajilo. (I don’t know, I like girl but a boy would easy me a little) she wrinkled her nose as she made this comment.

She was asking me about my personal things and I answered all her questions. But I was saying things randomly which can be close to creating a condition where I would not remember my own words.

I was looking the lake when she looked at me and said; you are lucky enough to be single and earn by yourself. You can do anything when you are single, really anything. You can live your life freely which is important once you are born as human. ‘Kasto ramailo hola tapailai’ hai didi.

Kina timi lai ramailo china timi khusi chaina; (why you not happy) I asked her back.

She dropped tears and quickly tried to conceal the situation by holding her hand on her stomach and said; awww the baby is kicking and is moving.

“Wow really”.

 I have never seen but only heard of such activities…kamala does it hurt? How can u say that it’s a kick it can be a punch. What you say? We both laughed. We succeed to conceal the tears of unspoken words. But I was wondering what could be hiding beneath this innocent lady.

She was honest enough telling me her stories. She started and then there wasn’t stop. She spoke it all. I was like numb. I had the Goosebumps all over my body and annoyed for sure. I couldn’t bear it when she revealed that her husband eloped with her younger sister who was only 16 and left her all alone on that hushed place in her pregnancy stage. She had no money, no ideas to get to the city, and not even any means of communication to think what to do next. She said that her husband kept her behind in that place for nine years.

‘I feel raw didi. I feel bad that I can’t do anything now. I am good for nothing. Now I have this baby inside me. I am worried for my children. Yestai ho didi, abha ma k garney’.My husband might be here anytime. Please don’t let him know about certain things we spoke about.

 I saw a scared face in her.

Kamala is very nice woman and a caring mother. She was with me most of the time. I spoke with her like friend after that and like a sister. She showed me some places around the village and took me to a school since she knew I like kids.

It was all a good experience with her. Thinking about the moments in pokhara, I always remember Kamala and I wish to see her new born daughter.

When I left, I left my number since it was only the means of communication we can possibly have. I left with a promise to visit her again.

Smile to life. J

Tibetans "second class citizens"???????

Map of Tibet!

 Year 1959 after chinese invaded Tibet!

picture says it all!

Voice!

freed????





chinese new invention on human rights

  

I got a call from my sister saying our Akula is home to see us. I was on the spur of the moment to complete all the work, get out and arrive home to see our ‘Akula’ in Tibetan it refers to Uncle.

When I arrived at home I saw our smart and handsome akula sitting on the sofa with his calm nature. He came up to give me a hug and it was the most overwhelming warm that  we saved for years since the crackdown in Tibet came up.

There wasn’t the limit of happiness that I came across the moment I saw him. He was still looking smart with his outfits and the cowboy hat, I even wished if he could leave that for me.

How are you akula? How is everyone back home?

He smiled at me with calm personality and replied; I am good and everyone is good back home. Don’t worry.

How is everything back in Tibet?

Everything is ok? He gasped and said...yes everything like so and so…

This respond made me feel uneasy within me. Questions provoked me like fleshing light right in front of my eyes.

Recently I saw someone posted it as his status in facebook “I request my friends to write and share as much information as possible about TIBET. The SITUATION is Worsening in TIBET” there is no doubt that how badly the people are suffering in Tibet. This is very important thing to highlight that How brutally Tibetan people are treated like worse than animals by the Chinese.

More than 2, 70,000 people are in prison from every age and who is going to raise the voice?

Are they going to be freed someday even if it’s years later but possible?

How are they treated in prison?

How many fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and grandparents are there in that number?

No wonder, our Panchen Lama is one of the youngest prisoners of the Chinese rule....and no wonder world is waiting for the China to give a comment on this issue, but as being a Tibetan I don’t hope but I demand for an answer if they dare to answer and not act like the abnormal numb.

Why there are 2, 70,000 prisoners in Tibet?

What is their crime?                                          

Are they all Tibetan?

Will they ever be free near in the future?

These are obvious questions which stroked my mind. I have been searching through net and goggling around regarding the Tibet issue. I came across much recent news and the past demonstrations which were something I have been aware of. But didn’t get anything which made me feel ‘yes this is what I have been looking for’ to include in with here while writing this…..

Well talking about the 2, 70,000 prisoners in Tibet.

Yes they are all Tibetan. Majority of them are monks and nuns who are under the strict armed force watching them with the nocturnal eyes.

They are in prison because they dared to ask the question under the Chinese rules and regulation?

They are in prison because they dared to face the truth, which was buried somewhere under the sunrays?

They are in prison because they dared to take action against something which was unacceptable.

They are in prison because they dared to ask question about human rights?

Talking about the Human rights, I must add this incident here, one young man was arrested in Tibet and when he was questioned for breaking the rules. He answered in tears that he doesn’t have any rights. The Chinese asked him back;

what rights you are talking about when you are free to practice your business and you are getting along with people like a free bird, what right you are talking about?….after that comment, the man didn’t have anything to answer back….he was numb…he might had so many things to say but he failed when he didn’t get to explain it back.

Well in Tibet, I must say there isn’t any right related to our sense of organ like…

1.       Our eyes wish to see beautiful things which are banned in Tibet. If the people wish to see a gathering for a festival, they have to get permission from the ward and then the regional head blah blah which are complete waste at the end….because most of them all rejected.

2.       Our ears wish to hear good things which are also banned in Tibet. There aren’t the news stations and channels not even a single newspaper which can relate the people with the outside world.  Even the phone calls are always tapped of every home.

3.       Our tongue wants to speak, which is a sign or crime in Tibet. The people are not allowed to talk free not even in group. They are not even allowed to sing songs which are related to Tibet. People are not allowed to talk in groups of three. The cabs are engaged with camera watching the travels and the conversations every minute and second.

Well these are the great rules of activities practicing in Tibet in the name of giving full facilities of rights to the people of Tibet.

What do we call these above activities?…..way to control the mind of the people I must add.

But how long?

Ever since from the year 1949 the Chinese people started to get settled in Tibet from china, turning the ethnic of Tibetans into minority. The numbers of Chinese people are rising in huge number nearly making the number Tibetan people go fewer.

Every Tibetan has to carry an identity card every time he or she is out in the market where as the Chinese can walk wherever without it and no one bothers to question them. It’s a bitter truth that sometimes it gets checked 10 times for the identity just for the walk to Lhasa which is complete ill situation for the people who goes through it.

I wonder; why Tibetans living in Tibet feel second class citizens in their own country?

 Tibetans are often the victims of Chinese corruption. In recent years, for example, Tibetans have found it easier to obtain passports but they are required to fork over $300 in bribes in addition to the $30 passport fee.

Well while I am writing this, I don’t know how this article is going end. A story can end look beautiful but this is something that was in my mind and I was thinking since from yesterday to put them in my words,I am not sure what can I do in the near future for my country. I know I won't be able to bring any changes with my words, sitting at place just like that.I wish for a change of happiness for all the people in Tibet, for all the individual who are going through hardship….those who are in prison and still surviving with the hope. we wish to see a Change, a change where we can all stand at one place and say We with a REAL Smile!

Smile to life J

'Pokhara stone haven' perfect gift for summer...

More than being just a great place to stay in Pokhara, The Retreat / exclusive Lodge is a small piece of paradise tucked away at the end of Phew Tal Lake   accessible only by boat and on a plateau enjoying solitude, a cool breeze off the lake, 180 degree Himalayan views and wildlife, nestled on the edge of a small Nepali village. We facilitate vacations that comfort your entire being whilst ensuring relaxation and an opportunity for discovery.



         there is the stone haven.... next to the small houses...."View from top of simley Gaun"


stone haven from the back..




the front way....




another way to living room..




complete view Lake..




serene living room...




organizing Massage...




stone haven Boat...



 

well i found it my time there way too perfect. i will remember my stay there. If you people are looking for something complete new to experience, i suggest you better make a choice right now about this place, trust me No regrets.

 

Smile to life :)

                                                      http://www.pokhararetreat.com/

                                                 ( for more informations and photos)

                               "i wasn't good enough to capture the real part of the retreat house"....

Meera....'A normal girl among us'

It was the third day of Nepal bandha. I was feeling bored and looking for a good way to pass my day. I took a book called “Sold” written my ‘Patricia’ from my book shelf and a packet of ‘Lays’ chips from the kitchen and entered my room to continue with the story. But the kids playing next to our building really disturbed me. I found myself eating the lays only and the book was on the pillow opened with the book marker placed in between. My room was a total mess. My table was crammed with books, a mug, my pen drive, article papers from the workshop, camera, and red nail polish and so on. The Om (nepali) print with the psychedelic color that lay on the wall added a charm to my room. I headed to the TV room to watch some good programs. The repeated Indian reality show programs made me sleepy when my Amala (mother) with a loud shouted,
“These Nepal bandhas don’t even let us have fresh vegetables”. She was showing me the shopping bag. I nodded as she was saying all those things about vegetables and Nepal bandha. I was really not interested to listen to same monotonous issues. I was scratching my head for a way and thinking for a way to skip from the situation when I received a call from a friend of mine and she said
“Oie Lhamo lets go for cycling”.
We agreed and headed towards Tusal where one of our friends was waiting. We left from home with the doubt if we could get any cycles at that time for hire. We could see everyone on the road cycling from every age. People were walking on the road. Kids were playing badminton, football in the middle of the way; youngsters were buying peanuts, ice cream, fruits from the vendors. Rickshaw riders seemed really happy with the tourist, though they were drenched in sweat.
We walked through tusal. As we passed through the gate of Boudha Gemini Supermarket, we asked one of the passersby and got to know that cycles were available for hire in Kumarigal. The moment when we arrived at Kumarigal, there weren’t any cycles. Without any choice we had to wait for the cycles in the nearby local restaurant. . It was a simple an ordinary restaurant. A single room with the kitchen attached with two tables. We were little hungry and one of my friend asked if anyone of us wanted to have something. Since we had plenty of time to wait, we ordered Vegetable chowmein, Roti and Alu, omelet and tea and decided that we would share them all. It was an ordinary restaurant.
We were talking with each other about the condition of Nepal and the people, the society and the way the people think in the society. Just then a girl’s threw her voice in between our conversation but we didn’t give any importance to her and continued with our own chat but time and again she interrupted, trying to make her presence in our discussion. Her constant act made me give a keen look at her.
She had a look of a teenage girl. Her eyes were beautifully art done with the black eye liner of the seventies Bollywood actresses which can easily grab the attention of anyone. Her messy haircut (totally short from back and a long threat like at the check bones) gave her the look of a rock star. Her golden, red and blue colored bangles (which now a day’s teenagers would try to match with their style and clothes) sprinkled a pinch of lady look in her. She was wearing a simple red and black v-neck shirt with the light blue skinny jeans. A black converse shoe which had double laces of black and white added a style and well I could notice her studded leather belt. She has a beautiful clear skin, no blemishes and not even a single pimple on her face. I have heard that beauty is the skin deep and yes looking at her skin, it made me feel that “she really had the beauty”. She had pierced her left side nose with a silver ring which actually gave me the feel that she can be either Rai limbu or Gurung.
She was reading a Nepali newspaper and said “kya Bhopal jagada bhayecha mao-vadi ra police ko yaar” to one of the young guy who was next to her. The guy was sleeping with his arms folded on the table. But he didn’t avoid whenever the girl asked something. She was ordering this and that to the guys around her, who gave me the feel that she was one of the powerful character of a woman of the Indian movie.
One fair guy with yellow green colored shaggy hair appeared suddenly and said something in a very low voice to her. She then got up and went inside the restaurant with the guy searching for something in her jeans pocket. After a couple of minutes they came out and she said something which was out of my knowledge. The guy left and she came back to the place where she was sitting before. I looked at her hands which were swollen. The way she spoke and the way she pronounced the words were uncertain and it seemed as if something was wrong with this girl. She looked sleepy and it would take a while to make her understand what we are actually talking about. I was very much interested to know this girl who seemed really gutsy about every word she uttered. Her every sentence gave me this vibe that she was indeed a local youngster spending their time hanging in groups. She was frequently using the words Saale, hawrey, as though she enjoyed it.
Her every movement captivated me and I asked her, “timi k garchau”? She looked at me and said “mero budha le malai hercha.”
She seemed proud while answering this, she looked happy with whoever he was. She seemed too young to get in a relation like marriage but when I asked her about her age, she was 25. Then without a delay I made my comment to appreciate about her beauty. She was with all smiles. With a surprised expression on my face, unbelieving the fact that she was 25 I said immediately “timi lai thaha cha ,timi dheray ramri chau ra timi pacchis varsha ko jasto dekhdaina” (do you know how beautiful you are and you don’t look like 25) with unwilling smile on her face she looked at everyone and said “k garne ramri bhayera ,na yo ramri aanuhar chaatnu milcha na khanu milcha.
Her certain answer made me know that this girl has seen a lot of things about this society and her life. Though her answer sounded bit too straight forward but there lied a bitter truth which is accepted by most of the people.
The fair guy popped again and whispers something in her ear, with an annoying appearance on her face she said
“la la pachas rupaiya baadi deu bhana”.
I was totally unheard of what was actually going on, what were they murmuring about, what relation she had with those young guys.
The fair guy left again and the next time he came, he handed her with some money. She put it in her jeans pocket without even counting.
I was anxious to know what the money was for. She looked happy. She looked at the guy next to her and said ‘Oie jata…churot kinera lyau ta…
“Paisa chaina”…..the guy.
“Salee…la hawrey…firta paisa ta rakh…” Her.
The guy came back chewing a gum, he handed the packet to her. She took out a cigarette and guy picked up the lighter from the table and offered to light it. She started to enjoy every puff. Every time she inhaled the smoke, she would close her eyes..and I don’t know why….
I asked her name and she replied “Meera”.
She added ‘Tusal ko Meera bhanera sodhnu…va lady punch Sabai le chincha”
“ho ra..sabailey chincha timilay…tyeso bhaye timro dherai saathi cha hola ….hoina Meera?”
“Saathi ?“giving an irritating smile…’kasko saathi ko saathi”?meera ko kohi saathi chainna”. Said Meera.
She didn’t give any further answer. She remained quiet. She ordered chowmein, momo , and sukuti for packing. She even told the restaurant didi to make it quick with Achar separately. When asked where she was going she said “mama ko ghar ma janu parcha buda lai khana dinnu”
“Mama ko ghar…… Buda lai khana……… kina” I asked
“Mama ok ghar bhanaiko…police chauki ke”…
She told us in short that she and her husband got caught by police while dealing with the drug on the way to Maitinagar. But she was later released when her so called husband reported that drugs were not related to her and she was innocent about it.
I found myself talking to a drug dealer. It was fascinating for me to come to know about these people. Their every gesture seemed different and I found myself interested to know more. I liked the way she was talking, though her words sounded like bit too harsh or straight forward but I like the way she spoke. There wasn’t any pretention or consciousness in her and I really liked it.
I asked her if she was involved in any drug. Without any hesitation she replied “brown”.
I was like “brown?”. She said “maile drug chodney try gareko ho tara ma relapse bhaye”
There was frustrating expression on her face when she revealed this fact. This single word “relapse” made her shattered and I can see that in her face.
Restaurant didi hurriedly came with the packing and said “Meera baheni timro packing”
“ Katti bhayo didi”
“Ek sai pachatar”(Rs 175)
Meera stood up. Left the money on the table.
She gave smile to everyone of us. Before leaving she told one of the guy to hire cycles for us. She turned back again and holding the packet, she said…kaam paryo bhane lady punch lai samjinnu…
Smile to Life

J

Rohit! A Rich Scavenger

walking all alone.

lost!



dreams beneath the steps.



his cousins..

You can easily get some idea about what I am going to write here, you can see the name Rohit and yes his pictures too. Yes indeed I am going to write about Rohit here. I found him really interesting boy and no wonder I was feeling good about this little boy. Reading my words here, you will get to know about little Rohit and his world. I am glad I found him after several days of waiting and searching.

He was sitting at the corner of the construction site while on his way to Tinchuli, I found him eating something in a plastic. But I doubted if he is the one I have been waiting for. I got closer and closer. By the time, I was close enough to hear the sounds of chewing. It was him.

Rohit…. I voiced.

He looked at me in a disguise, didn’t say a word in reply. It didn’t matter to me because I was asking him random things.

Ho! ma Rohit ho; he replied later without any expression on his face.

Well this is Rohit. I got to know about the slum dogs place through him. But when I went to see him, I found out that he had left for India. Yes this is the same boy I have written in my previous article. I am very much glad I got him on the way to my office.

Rohit is a boy of 12. He is the youngest son of his family. He works hard like any man does to help his family to stand in the society. He is an example of any other ordinary man in this society making his walk to remember in his own best way.

Yes! I call him the man of his age. Instead of playing with his age around and gaining education in school, he is given duty of responsibilities to stand as backbone of the family and I am sure there are always reasons when certain situation appears.

He wakes up every early morning around 4 o’ clock and starts with duties onwards. He walks by the way of Boudha,Tinchuli, Jorpati, returning back from the phulbari way to his destination where he stores all the garbage in a place and sells them out every end of the month. He has an elder brother who is married and has two kids, is also engaged in same work. They have three times meal a day. Rohit mentioned that he likes playing with friends. He likes going to school like every other kids do. He watches a student who passes by us when he was talking about school and study. He loves laughing though he has very uptight face. So far I have not seen him laughing. He talks to the point thing, sometimes hard to believe a kid of 12 can be full of dull expressions. If you don’t talk to him, there will be like complete silent environment.

I am sure the navy oversize trouser was not really his. But he was wearing it so comfortably that it seemed he was fine with it. He had a green small size shirt with a cartoon character at front but it was badly faded. His feet show how hard he works. I took a picture of his feet when he was loitering around. We walked by the way of Tinchuli where he often comes and that’s where we first met actually.

Question! Why is Rohit here in Nepal?

With a dream to build a house of own, he travelled to Nepal from India to build a house. Rohit spends days, weeks and months here collecting money with his big brother. He said he wants to help his family to build a house of their own in India so that people won’t make his family feel down. He walks off the house early morning at 4 with his white sack every day just to give a roof for his family. He told me that he earns 20,000 rupees a month.  My eyes were wide opened. His brother collects all the money, and then they travel back to India time and again to deposit the money in a bank. Well this sounds really modernized.

Rohits gets 20 rupees a day from his sister in-law every day for his own uses. I asked the moment if he has the 20 rupees and how about offering me a glass of tea, I was pulling his leg. He smiled and said he has already spent it. My bad luck.L

He said, he was getting late and has to continue his work with his white sack. I handed him the things I had for him. He left with a smile on his face. And that smile was worth to see. With a smile on my face I said to myself; finally I met Rohit.

Smile to Life. J

A Teen 'Undertaker' in Pashupati...

.................



undertakers in white.




Ram, Dheeraj and Shyam at right



Waiting and waiting ...



Shyam made the entry into the Local Restaurant for dal bhat..

It’s already 8 o’ clock now. I have to bring together the words and jot them down in here before I go to bed. I am tired but the wonderful time I had with the kids on the way will brighten my moments. Love them.

I was at Pashupati temple with my sister when she was clicking pictures and I was looking at the environment because I have never been there around the time of 5 in the evening. I came across few kids around me. They had sharp faces with marks on their faces. I caught them when the security man was chasing them when they got near me.

Timi haru yaha ko ho? (Are you from here?) I asked the kids who were around 4 feet tall of same height.

Ho, hami yaha kai ho. (yes we are from here) they replied.

Before I could ask my second question, one of the them asked me; Didi dus rupaiya deu na. (Give me ten rupees).

Lala ma dinchu tara ma sanga alikati kura garnu parcha hai ta. (Alright I will give you but you have to talk to me for a short time).

Then he changed his want by demanding it into a plate of Nepali Thali for three of them at the nearby restaurant. I was like …what? But I agreed. I said I will treat them dinner but all they have to do is reply to my queries without any lie. They accepted and for some instinct I felt that they won’t fake a single word.

I saw an office just next to the place where people are cremated. The crematorium is divided into two sections, there is a bridge (which is quite old but people hardly notice the fact) where numbers of pedestrians leaves their footprint of faith in the God and goddess passing by each other and looking at the cremation process from beginning to the end, and they silently watch the people who are in great grief of lose of their dear ones. Well I am one of them in the crowd….and I have always been impatient to know ‘what goes in the mind of the undertaker?’ This is something I have always been keen about. They call them ‘pandit bajay’ here.

I made my way to the office to grab information making the kids to wait for me at the same place. I took the few broad steps. There I saw two young guys sitting on the chair. One of them was quite big and had covered his face with a black mask. But I noticed his curly hairs. The other one had brown eyes, very unusual from other nepalese and yes! he too had curly hair. At first he was uneasy talking to me. But later he was closer to fine in the talking terms. The bigger guy was more comfortable to talk though his face was covered with a piece of cloth. But that didn’t matter to me. We were talking, when there was a lady next to me sitting who came later also added her views and her experiences as she had been working in the hospital of the Pashupati temple for almost 26 years now.

 She is Saraswati Timilsina. She had a pierced nose with a golden nose pin. She was wearing a spectacle.. She talked too much than I have expected and quite fast indeed. I asked her if the rumor I have been hearing from a long time now, that there are some cases that people sometimes gets back their life when they are considered dead in hospitals and home and they are left behind not taking them back home? How much truth is there in this buzz?

She said till now it has not happened and so far she has comprehended people with joy and smiles when such cases took place. Everyone agreed nodding their head in silence and the brown eyed boy was one of them.

The brown eyed boy is Bashunder kharel. He is only 17. He has been there since from his childhood playing around the place. He grew up at the place, now he is working at the same place and earning by himself. He said ‘I earn and I work myself, I am not a burden to anyone’. He had a powerful short confident speech. My eyes popped out!

‘Tyo ta dherai ramro ho bhai! (This is very good)

Timi kaam garchau ra kamauchau tara parnu pani parcha ni hoina bhai’? (You work, you earn but don’t you think you have to study too?)

His only and only reply was ‘khoi’…. (I don’t know)

He has been in this line of “undertaker” from 4 years now. Till date he has cremated around 40-50 dead bodies. I was shocked and I gasped. He mentioned that he gets 850 rupees from each cremation from the office. He sometimes has 3-4 cremations to attempt in a day and sometimes nil because there are 28 people who are engaged as undertaker. Trust me’ they earn damn well. Better than many other who works in offices digging their minor mind.

He added I am not engaged in this work when I was born. I was born with all the happiness that belongs to me with this life.  But the time and situation pushed me to be in this business. I am fine with this now. I don’t shed a damn tear for anyone. I don’t feel any sympathy for anyone who comes here with the cold senseless body. They all are same as it was when I did for the first time to now. This is like a very simple work for me to do. It’s very simple as you consider your work.

“yestai ho didi kaam bhaneko” ( this is what we call work) he added and disappeared.

I saw the kids been waiting for me down the stairs. They were watching me like a policeman watches a thief. I left from the office handing chocolates for everyone who spoke nicely with me.

‘Didi baat khana jane’ (we want to have dal bhat) the kids.

It was late but I didn’t want to disappoint the kids with my promise. I and my sister followed their way to a local restaurant. They ordered ‘Dai khana teen thauma’. (dal bhat for three)

Ram, Shyam and dheeraj, they enjoyed the ‘dal bhat’ by adding rice for four times. Oh my god that’s a lot.

Ram and Shyam are twins. They are 12. Ram is elder by 8 minutes. They are ditto. They have same height, same body structure and same speech. Ram and Shyam want to go back to village. They are collecting money by begging. Shyam told me that they have collected more than 2000 rupees. Their father died because of excessive drinking, and found their father lying unconscious in a rainy day. When they got the body after the postmortem, he found out that there was something was wrong.

Changing the topic, I asked where they will be heading after the meal. They were staying at an organization which provides shelter to the street kids. Meeting them I found out that ‘Suman’ who I have been searching from a long time, is staying in the same organization but he isn’t allowed to walk out of the gate.

Suman is a street kid and he wants to be a Don. That’s what he told me when I first met him. Well let’s hope to meet him one day.

‘Masu na khaye ko dherai bhayo’  Dheeraj added holding the steel glass of water. They had dal bhat and masu too.

We paid and holding the bottle of mineral water we walked by the Gaushala way. They had to reach Siphal so they took the first way from the Gaushala in that busy traffic where as my sister and I waited for a local bus and got back home. But we promised to meet once again for a hearty lunch and listen to more of their stories.

It was a good feeling to see them walk off the hustle road playing around with each other as other normal kids do like hitting and laughing at others. Ram and Shyam were easily noticeable because of their big size hoody. I saw them waving back from the distance. I was happy and was smiling back, which I am certainly sure they didn’t notice. But that’s fine. I adore them.

I was very tired by the time I reached home. I told the stories to my mother and I was scolded for walking anywhere without asking her. I was like yea I know…………….:)

Smile to Life :)