This is the first time I have written anything in Nepali in about 8 years - just an attempt to bring together two languages I am familiar with. I started this story about 2 years ago, and finished it yesterday. I might come up a "lighter" piece soonish as well. (There is enough sorrow around all of us anyways!) तेरो ३ पुस्ता लाइ खान लाउन पुग्ने सम्पति छ, अहिले बिहे गर, पढाई भनेको गर्दै गर्दा हुन्छ ” It escaped Prasanna how his father had been able to amass such huge quantities of wealth in such a short period of time. Well, it wasn’t that he was unaware of the fact that unethical ways contributed to their new piece of land in Baneshwor, but it bemused him that one could accumulate such large sums within three years of being in the government. “हैन कि खैरेनी संग लब सब गर्याछ्स कि क्या हो, जैले पनि बिहा को कुरा गर्यो कि तिमुर्किन्छ त. खैरेनी केटि हरु एकदम इन्दिविजुअल हुन्छन बाबु, भाषा, संस्कार केई पनि मिल्दैन, खैरेनी चै बिहा नगर है. त्यो संदेश मामा लाइ हेर त, काली केटि ले छोरो थमाएर पोइला गैदिछे, तेस्तो भो भने हाम्ले घर छिमेक मा कसरि मुख देखाउनु भन त ?” Why doesn’t that surprise me? Sandesh mama had fallen in love with Natasha, an African-American lady during his “work-trip” to Ocean City. They got hitched his senior year, had a child a year later, and an year after, Natasha left him with a son for some white guy. Now he was stuck with a 10 year old in Ocean City without a college degree. Life doesn’t get better than that! “हैन माँ, तेस्तो केहि पनि छैन, म अब पढाई सकेर येताई फर्किने विचार गर्दैछु, आफ्नै बिजनेस गर्ने सोच छ, अर्को २ बर्ष मा बिहा गरुला नि ” Prasanna was unsure whether the sighs that followed were a result of frustration or straight up fury. “का फर्किने कुरा गर्छस, बरु मिल्यो भने यहाँ को सम्पत्ति सबै बेचेर तेरो बुवा र मा पनि उतै आउने सोच्दै छौ. बिष्णु मामा ले सान फ्रान्सिस्को मा कुन्नि के समिति खोलेका छन् रे, भिसा पाउन नि गाह्रो हुन्न रे. उनले नि एकदम प्रगति गरे नि, ४ ओटा फिलान्थ्रोपी संस्था खोलेर बसेका छन्. ” After having had this exact same conversation a gazillion times, Prasanna knew that it was the time for him to just listen. Anything he said was certain to go against him. “नेपाल फर्केर नि के गर्छस, देखिहलिस, यहाँ यस्तै हो, येइ लोद्द्सेदिंग, येइ बन्द. बस्न गार्हो छ यहाँ, तलाई के थाहा? बिजिनेस गरे नि उइ हो, बत्ति छैन, पानि छैन, जैले नेपाल बन्द, चक्का जाम भन्याछ, एकदम अन्डरदिवेलोप छ देश बाबु, अमेरिका नै हो बस्ने त" _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rolling that four year old suitcase from the terminal all the way down to the airport gates was grueling, but finding a seat in that last bus to New Bus Park beat the former errand by a long shot. An hour later, Prakash arrived at “Hotel Samjhana” , a lodge that chiefly relied on out-of-valley travelers like Prakash for business. Dhan dai, the owner, played “Saal ko Paat chachari” in his brand new Konka stereo as Prakash hit the sack, consumed by exultant thoughts of seeing his family after three years. Amidst three devotees on their way to Manakamana, Prakash ferreted out a seat on top of the engine, albeit there was only room for half his rear in that scorching stall. A three-hour ride to Ambu Khaireni involved bearing the stench (probably from the roosters the Manakamana–goers were holding), but the thought of seeing his little sister made even that smell seem like nothing. _____________________________________________________ “म त शनिबार आउछ्स भनेर मासु किनेकी थे, तेरी बैनी ले सक्काइ हाली नि “, there was a seeming disappointment in Prakash’s mom’s voice. “हैन आमा, के लाइ चाहियो मासु, यो मिठै छ नि ”, he responded as he devoured the entire thaal of alu-bhaat-masyaura in less than five minutes. If the home cooked meal wasn’t good enough to satiate his palette, the glassful of fresh mohi right after sure did the job. “नासपाती काटदिन्छु, खा है बाबु? ”, Prakash’s mom was just about done with the dishes, but she wanted to feed him all she could while he was around. Prakash settled down in the worn-out gundri as Pratima rested her head in her bother’s lap. Their family had been devoid of a patriarchal figure for years, and Prakash’s arrival delighted Pratima and his mom greatly. Govinda sir (as he was popularly known in the village) was murdered seven years ago by the maoists for his alleged affiliation to another political party. Any discussion of that incident was frowned upon in the house, firstly because it was a touchy episode, and secondly for the reason that Pratima was too young to comprehend anything that had happened. All she knew was that her dad had died a sudden death, and, as everyone else in the village vindicated, he was one great man. “यसपाली नि यो तरकारी ले खासै आम्दानि भएन बाबु, दिन रात जोतिन्छु मात्रै, कमाइ केई नि हुन्न ”, his mom sat down on a pirka across the room. “तेरो बुवा को पेन्सन ले धानिएका छम अहिले सम्म, त्यो नि कहिले कहिँ त सार्है गार्हो हुन्छ. धन्न प्रतिमा ले अस्ति किलास टपी, यो बर्ष निशुल्क पढाई दिने भा क छन्. ए नानि, जा जा दाइ लाइ तेरो प्रमाण पत्र देखाइदे ” Pratima grabbed a muda from under the bed and climbed on it to grab the certificate of excellence she was awarded three months earlier. “राम्रो छ ”, Prakash said, with a dejected tenor. “मैले सक्दो गरेकै छु आमा, उता फीस पनि बुझाउनै पर्यो, फेरी धेरै काम गर्यो भने पढाई बिग्रेला भन्ने डर ” “खै तेरो पढाई नि के हो के हो बाबु, ६ बर्ष भैसक्यो, डिग्री गर्नी नि कैले हो कैले, सन्तोष काका संग लेको ऋण नि अझै ब्याज पकाउदै छ. म एउटी बुढी ले कति मात्र काम गर्नी हेर. फेरी बुढो जिउ, हिउद लाग्यो कि ढाड तेइ हो हेर, अस्ति त २ हप्ता थलै परे नि, बैनी नि इस्कुल जान पाइन, मै बुडी को स्याहार गर्न लाइ ” Prakash caressed Pratima’s hair as he glanced at his mom. Although she was only in her early forties, she looked twenty years older. “बरु फर्की भो बा, त्यो पैसा को मुख हेरेर के गर्नु. तँ यहाँ भए मलाई नि शान्ति हुन्थ्यो. येइ आइजा, बिनोद मामा ले बैंक मा काम लाइदिञ्छु भनेका छन्, मलाई त सार्है गार्हो भो बाबु" “हैन आमा, यत्रो दुख गरेर गैय्यो, पढाई त सक्ने पर्यो नि. पख्नुस अब, १-२ बर्ष मा मेरो नि अलि अलि कमाइ होला, तपाइँ लै पुग्ने गरि मै कमाउछु नि” “खै बा, के हो के हो, म त मर्ने बेला मा तेरो मुख नि नदेखी मर्छु कि जस्तो लाग्छ कैले काइ त ” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Prologue Tudikhel, 10:32 am Prakash stood by the bus stop as vehicles sped by, spewing out dark clouds of smoke. Tudikhel looked majestic that day (well, as majestic as it can look, which isn’t saying a lot). Thousands of comrades stood on the grounds as some Maoist leaders delivered rousing speeches. Four large speakers were set up around the venue, enabling the elocution to be audible to people as far as Jamal. “बक्तब्यकाक्रममाअबमापूर्वसभासदप्रथमराजप्रधानलाइमंचमाआमन्त्रणगर्नचाहन्छु ”, the MC announced in an apical tone. Prasanna’s dad approached the podium – his hands making an emblematic “laal salaam” gesture. “ Comrades, I think of the long struggle that I and my party waged with single mindedness for the liberation of the common man from the clutches of the age-old suppression, deprivation, marginalization and outright negligence of the then existing polity. My fellow countrymen and women, toiling in the mountains and valleys, working day and night in the low lands and the urban areas and yet unable to ensure even the simple necessities of life for his or her family had a hope and expectation that one day they would lead a decent life with equal rights and opportunities and be recognized as respectful citizens of the country. We are at this significant turning point in the political history of Nepal.” Prakash felt a lump in his throat. He grabbed a handkerchief to wipe away his tears that hadn’t formed yet. “Dai, airport samma…………….” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ It's much easier to wear a Chairman Mao button and shake your fists in the air and all that, then to actually read the Communist manifesto and things like that and actually become involved in politics. - Lester Bangs. अस्तु Writer's note: The speech in the prologue is an excerpt from Prachanda's speech at the UN Convention - I found it fitting. Thanks for reading! तेरो३पुस्तालाइखानलाउनपुग्नेसम्पतिछ, अहिलेबिहेगर, पढाईभनेकोगर्दैगर्दाहुन्छ ” It escaped Prasanna how his father had been able to amass such huge quantities of wealth in such a short period of time. Well, it wasn’t that he was unaware of the fact that unethical ways contributed to their new piece of land in Baneshwor, but it bemused him that one could accumulate such large sums within three years of being in the government. “हैनकिखैरेनीसंगलबसबगर्याछ्सकिक्याहो, जैलेपनिबिहाकोकुरागर्योकितिमुर्किन्छत. खैरेनीकेटिहरुएकदमइन्दिविजुअलहुन्छनबाबु, भाषा, संस्कारकेईपनिमिल्दैन, खैरेनीचैबिहानगरहै. त्योसंदेशमामालाइहेरत, कालीकेटिलेछोरोथमाएरपोइलागैदिछे, तेस्तोभोभनेहाम्लेघरछिमेकमाकसरिमुखदेखाउनुभनत ?” Why doesn’t that surprise me? Sandesh mama had fallen in love with Natasha, an African-American lady during his “work-trip” to Ocean City. They got hitched his senior year, had a child a year later, and an year after, Natasha left him with a son for some white guy. Now he was stuck with a 10 year old in Ocean City without a college degree. Life doesn’t get better than that! “हैनमाँ, तेस्तोकेहिपनिछैन, मअबपढाईसकेरयेताईफर्किनेविचारगर्दैछु, आफ्नैबिजनेसगर्नेसोचछ, अर्को२बर्षमाबिहागरुलानि ” Prasanna was unsure whether the sighs that followed were a result of frustration or straight up fury. “काफर्किनेकुरागर्छस, बरुमिल्योभनेयहाँकोसम्पत्तिसबैबेचेरतेरोबुवारमापनिउतैआउनेसोच्दैछौ. बिष्णुमामालेसानफ्रान्सिस्कोमाकुन्निकेसमितिखोलेकाछन्रे, भिसापाउननिगाह्रोहुन्नरे. उनलेनिएकदमप्रगतिगरेनि, ४ओटाफिलान्थ्रोपीसंस्थाखोलेरबसेकाछन्. ” After having had this exact same conversation a gazillion times, Prasanna knew that it was the time for him to just listen. Anything he said was certain to go against him. “नेपालफर्केरनिकेगर्छस, देखिहलिस, यहाँयस्तैहो, येइलोद्द्सेदिंग, येइबन्द. बस्नगार्होछयहाँ, तलाईकेथाहा? बिजिनेसगरेनिउइहो, बत्तिछैन, पानिछैन, जैलेनेपालबन्द, चक्काजामभन्याछ, एकदमअन्डरदिवेलोपछदेशबाबु, अमेरिका<span style="font-size:8.0pt;line-height:115%;M
annehathaway · Mar 11, 2013 10:52 AM · 66 views
This conversation is preserved exactly as it was on the original Sajha.com and can't accept new replies.
Start a New Discussion