I pedaled back to retrace the direction I had come as slowly as possible. Every white and brown paper on the way made me stop and examine them. To my horror, the wind began to whistle sending the stray papers on the street faster than I could catch them. I couldn’t believe my luck. When I reached Badri’s Pasal towards Maligaon, my heart felt very weak. It was not so much about the electricity and telephone bills,  it was the trust of my daddy. He would never assign me this activity again. My occasional Sunday pocket money would be gone forever. Still determined, I pedaled back home scrutinizing every paper on the way up the “Maligaon ko ukalo” until I reached home empty: in money and enthusiasm alike.  

 Seeing me frantically search my room, Dad’s room all over again, my sisters began to follow me as well. “Oyee Oys! K bhayo? Kina tyasto anuhaar laako?” one added

 In my nervousness, I began to close and open the drawers of Maami’s dressing table. “K khojeko tyaha? Paisa ta harainas, Daddy le deko?” The older one guessed correctly. I relayed the entire story as I could see them both fuming at me before I could even finish my story. “ani ali jatan garnu pardaina ta…!” aba k garchas?

 After making absolutely sure that I had not forgotten to take the bill with me, I decided to do the right thing. “Call Dad and tell him that I got robbed……” Umm. I was never a good liar. My dad saw through me like a crystal. But then I couldn’t picture his wrath of not being cautious enough. I weighed all the things out. I had no other choice. I went to my room, opened up my Podrej Daraj and its inner shelf. I had around 500 rupees that I had saved arduously over the last year in my KHUTRUKE. I was still short of 300 or so rupees. I still didn’t know how I would pay the electricity bill without the bill itself. Convincing my siblings that I would pay back by next Dashain and not to tell Daddy till I found a logical excuse, I squeezed 300 from both of them with a barrage of angry words and curses on me. I took them graciously.

*******************

I pedaled back reluctantly hoping I might still find the bill and the elephant bill, but it just wasn’t my day. The sunshine, the breeze and the buzz of Sano Gaucharan area began to dissolve in front of my misery. I parked my bicycle without any care this time and went back to staying in line. There were only five people left. I began to pace back and forth on how to explain to the officer to make me a new card, have him make the new bill and pay the amount. Was it even possible? Would I still get 3% discount that I was entitled to?  I grew so angry that I kicked the stone at my feet towards the side of the office building. As I saw the stone roll towards the thinning grass, a white paper caught my eye.

 For the love of seven mad gods’ name, I could make out the edge of the white electricity bill lay right there just a few paces from me laughing at my despair. The world spun and the time stopped as I found my new found hope. I frantically searched around for the Card and more so for the thousand rupee bill. It was camouflaged in the dust few paces further hinging barely with few muddy stones wavering in the strong breeze against the office Wall. I slowly picked it up, looking up in the sky, and opened it. There it was,  safely inside, indifferent to my misery, a crisp elephant.

 *************

My hands were still shaking from the whole ordeal I had just gone through. I was just surprised that all that wind had not blown it away nor anyone had seen it right beneath their feet. It was simply miraculous. Furthermore, the thought of not losing trust of Dad was a big relief.

“Oh Dai! Tapain ko no. dekhaunus ta ” the vendor, almost twice my age, inquired me at the everest momo. “chabbish, ho dai! I replied politely.

“Chabbis No. char plate PACK!” He gave the order. Suddenly, thought of Johnny, our lil’ prized terrier, seized me. “Dai, arko half plate ni thapdinu na!”

 It is hard to imagine that miracles are much more common in life than we think. We tend to belittle them for they don’t affect us in a big way. At times, we ignore them because it only happened to people we know and not us, and yet other times, we become too modest and give credit to God. In the end, however, we forget that life is not only about us but all the events and the people that are connected with it are also part of our lives. The small things that life is built upon ultimately merge to give the same life its entity. Yet, we cannot help but fret needing a miracle so very often.

 I put the bag of Everest Momo and the delicious Achar wrapped in a plastic bag in my bicycle handle and slowly proceeded to Handigaon. When I reached Bhagwati Bahal, I realized that I had almost forgotten about my utmost desire. I parked my bike on the steps of the mithai pasal and ordered two luscious dudh baris, and savored its sweet taste taking my own sweet time on that beautiful Sunday afternoon.