Chapter One : Sunshine "Chhoreeeeee!!" she heard her mom's excited voice as she pushed her luggage cart through arrival gate at Tribhuvan Airport. Amidst the sea of taxi drivers, policemen, gun-totting soldiers, placard-bearing hotel staff and occasional shouts of "Bahini, taxi chainchha?" , she saw her mom rush towards her with a big smile and wide-open arms. "Mummy" was all she could muster as her throat went dry . It had been 7 years since she met her mom and she struggled to stay composed as her mom wrapped her in her arms and asked "Kasto chaa talai?" "Mummy!" she said again and found herself at a loss for words. She had told herself when she boarded the plane in Los Angeles that she would not cry when she saw her mom but somehow a few drops had managed to trickle down her cheeks. She wanted to ask "Malai kina America jana dieko? Kina narokeko? Kina hajur haru sangai narakheko?" Nothing of the sort came out as she looked at her mother's ever so beautiful and radiant face. "Oho choreei, ayi pugyau timi?" she sensed a faint quaver in her dad's voice. Her dad looked so much older than the last time she saw him in LA. He had grayed significantly around the temples and a receding hairline now stood prominently atop his otherwise handsome face. "Oye! Ke chha talai? her brother slapped her on the back as she lay buried in her mom's arms "Manchhe hasi hasi niskanchan airport bata, ta chai kina ruyeko ni? America lai miss garna thali sakis ho? Ki koi American lai?" As always, he was the first to laugh at his own joke. "Nakara, badta naho" she regained her composure "Mummy, dada ke bha esto!" "Khoi, ke bha! Ghar ma kahile basne hoina" her mother lamented and went down her laundry list of complaints "Khali ghumnu phirnu matra chha. Sathi haru sabai bihe garna thali sake, tero dai lai ta hero bhayera restaurant chaharnu ra ghumnu matra parchha" They all laughed as her brother pushed the trolley towards an awaiting vehicle. "Aaan, sachi, oo chai Bibek ho" her mom pointed towards a guy standing next to her. "Geeta aunty ko nata parchha , Australia bata asti enginering sakera ayeko" She could barely register a nod at him as he said "Hi". He smiled back and quickly took leave of her parents. The ride home from the airport was filled with excited conversation and laughter as everybody seemed to be speaking on top of their voices, often at the same time and sometimes over each other. The blue Kathmandu sky and the majestic Ganesh Himal added to the feeling of perfect bliss.