Jayesh pulled open the netted door. The door creaked a little as it opened. A musty yet refreshing smell welcomed him. He tried to pin it down to the source. Surya Red and marijuana. A welcoming cheer from the group of boys and girls followed. "Aau. Come sit here," Seema patted besides her. She was … Continue reading Marijuana: the growers and the smokers
Donald Oli
Ramesh Sharma's gaze was fixated on his phone screen. The iPhone 12 Pro was gifted by his son who had recently started working at a financial consulting firm in Boston after graduating from a top liberal arts college in Massachusetts. Nobody knew how well he did in college. He never told his parents, or even … Continue reading Donald Oli
The Future of a Nepali Child
My 8-years old cousin and I were hanging out on our rooftop. The winter month of Paush had pushed all Kathmandubasi upwards - to rooms on the top few floors, where the sun temporarily showed its face in the afternoon, and to semi-open spaces like a hanging balcony or a veranda, where tall neighboring buildings … Continue reading The Future of a Nepali Child
Hot Tea, Cold Night
I handed the cup of black tea to dai. He clapped his hands twice to get rid of the dust sticking in the deep crevasses of his palms. That did not stop his mud-covered hands from becoming any cleaner. "Dai, do you work just here or somewhere else too?" I asked out of curiosity. Dai … Continue reading Hot Tea, Cold Night
Green City
I was walking back home after getting a packet of DDC milk from my local kirana pasal. Plethora of YouTube videos had suggested me to wake up early and start the day with a hot drink. There was no harm in trying. As a result, every morning, I would wake up whenever I would wake … Continue reading Green City
A Crow’s Nest on the Flying Kite
Sumi looked at the kite on the sky. She had made it fly that high, or at least partly did it. Her responsibility was to hold the lattai (thread spool). We all thought she was too young for her age for the job but her seven-years old self had defied our expectations. Her older sister, … Continue reading A Crow’s Nest on the Flying Kite
The MF Word
I was walking with my friend Madan. We had just had dinner at a chamena and after a filled stomach and an hour worth of walk, we were returning back home. Madan was staying with me for the night. We were talking about Nepal and where it was going, and the incompleteness of the conversation … Continue reading The MF Word
Nabigreko Keti | The Un-spoilt Girl
I sat down on the plastic chair. The plastic table in front of me was layered by a flower-patterned plastic sheet. It looked worn out. If plastic had life, it would probably have been dead. Nevertheless, it held an ancient charm to it. People often find old houses and old cars charming. Can't old plastic … Continue reading Nabigreko Keti | The Un-spoilt Girl
Three Nepali Men
Three Nepali men sat next to me at a coffee shop. I tried not to overhear them. But you cannot not overhear three Nepali men. When three Nepali men meet, they make sure that everyone hears them. If it was any other day, I would have been annoyed because either I would be immersed in … Continue reading Three Nepali Men
100 Rupees Chowmein
I stopped my bicycle next to the shop. Some might characterize this particular shop as a khaja ghar, others might call it a bhatti. The definition often changes paralleling the time of the day - khaja ghar during the day and bhatti during the night. Given the time of the day I had found myself … Continue reading 100 Rupees Chowmein