Five engineers were walking down the highway, soaked with perspiration, each carrying a duffle bag weighing tons. The venue was Tandi, Chitwan and the year was 1998. One of them was me, the good old John_Galt with eyes penetrating all the paddy fields to look for a small temporary office (and perhaps a glass of cold water) our company established which was soon to be moved once the factory was completed. None of them spoke to each other, cos everyone knew coming to a terai was not a good decision for most of us. Mr. A and I were raised in the eastern terai of Nepal, but had become consummate kathmanduites over the years. Mr. B , C and D had never been to terai, and their debut was not so fine.

It was our first job, garnished by a handsome remuneration and a perk training in various parts of Asia, Europe and South America....an offer no one could refuse. But the catch was; we had to be stationed in Tandi forever. We were delighted at first.....as long as the money was good enough no one would mind relocating in either Timbucktoo or Ulan Bator. Everything seemed so alright until we saw the paddy fields and the scorching sun. I had no remorse over coming to Chitwan, infact it reminded me of my childhood and early teens in Biratnagar, but for others, it was a living hell.

Finding a house was not a major issue but living together certainly was. Mr. B used to wake up all night killing mosquitoes further exacerbated by incessant snoring of Mr. D as if mosquitoes weren?t enough to do the damage. Three days later we decided to go separate ways. Mr. C almost went back to Kathmandu, but after thorough counseling with Mr. B and I, refrained from doing it. Finding another job with a good five figures was not a cakewalk.

So I started living in Parsa, a VDC six miles east of Tandi. I moved into one of the finest apartments with a little bathroom in it. Most of the houses had restrooms located outside. I started my first evening with a cold San Miguel which caught eye of one of the probing old woman at a grocery store who would not believe engineers drank liquor.

?I thought you guys were good student and successful human beings, keeping yourselves away from liquors?.
She scowled at me.

She was certainly outdated.

Grapevines in Parsa had news disseminated that a young engineer who drank lot of beers had arrived and was stationed there forever. Middle aged women flinched, and thought I would not make a nice groom for their daughters completely forgetting about their half drunk husbands who picked up fights at a village square once a week. But some of them were aware that I earned more than enough to feed their daughters and that drinking did not matter at all. I would soon have to encounter them.

Chitwan was a beautiful place, more beautiful than I ever imagined and the people were courteous and nice. But it was a playground for dirty politics. Leaders often amassed gullible villagers and duped them for wrong doings, such as unconditional strikes and bandhs.

During one of those bandhs, when I had to abandon my sleek hero Honda and had to rely on my feet and a pair of Nike for odd miles, I met Neema.....

To be continued.......

"Dai...are you from Kathmdandu?" I had heard her voice when i was walking down the unpaved short trail which led to my factory desperately looking for a bottle of coke and a little company.

I looked behind, and saw this young girl in a saree...which was probably a uniform of Tandi College. I nodded and smiled and she smiled back too. She had a small purse hanging down her shoulders and a pair of books clutched tightly under her soaking armpits.

Soon we became friends...and I called her Neema bahini. The bandh was for three days and I had a hard time walking back and forth everyday, but then Neema was always there for company....she talked without pause .....most of them limited to new released movies and boys in her class. When she was through with talking, I would know what rajesh hamal and karishma manandhar ate for supper.

'Dai....do you like Salman Khan?" She oftened ask me. I almost told her one day that with a body like his, he would better be Hanuman khan, but seeing her devotion and presuming a violent reaction that would come thereafter...I just smile and nodded.

Soon the bandh was over and Neema would take a small minibus to Tandi everyday. It was then I made a terrible mistake, I offered her a ride with me everyday I went to work....

More to come...

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice john bro. Great start.

I am waiting for some more.

"Vrrooooooom...." my sleek bike sped in the dusty little streets of Parsa and on to the highway with Neema sitting behind. She sat nervously gripping my shoulder tightly with one hand and holding the metal tail frame of the bike with the other.

I would fetch her from her house every morning...on her way back she took the bus since we did not get off at the same time.

"Dai..do you have sisters?" she asked me once. I shook my head...I had a young brother, a Kurt Cobain worshipper, who was already a liability to our family.

"Can I put a bhaitika on you then?" She asked again.

I was always a gung-ho type...been there...done that...a real smartass kind. Never shed tears over most heart-rending events.... but this girl brought tears from my eyes all of a sudden and I had hard time hiding it. I promised her I would be there during bhaitika as long as I could manage.I then realized how dear was Neema to me.

After a week when I started dropping Neema at her school, there was a knock at my door one evening, I was preparing some noodles for myself for an early dinner and was not willing to share ,I frowned at the sudden arrival of an unwanted guest. A lot of people visited me everyday, asking me to find a job at our establishment...and I thought this was no different until I opened the door.

There were four people standing outside, one of them was Neema's dad....and I could smell trouble just by looking at him. We talked for 15 minutes where I was shoved and pushed around half that time. They departed with a warning...and I departed the next day...queitly. Not bidding goodbye even to Neema...for she was in more troubled waters than I was.

The reason of their disgust was evident even to blind eyes and i ask myself what a fool I had been not to witness it at first hand. The whole village thought I and Neema were having a wild affair....more primal than the beast ruling the nearby forest. Some even forebode evil for the upcoming young girls if they went to the college much to my dismay.

I started living in bhatarpur and commuted everyday to tandi, I never went back to Parsa....not even during bhaitika....it was the first promise I didn't keep. Wonder where Neema is now....she must have had beautiful kids by now....and a loving husband...and I wonder if she still remembers her dear brother.

John I emphatize with your situation. Nice read.

That's why I never create any relation of that sort. I mean didi baini yeta uta. Aba badhyeta le garnai pare arko kuro natra no 'chanasa'.

Whats the point of creating new relation with emotion/obligation attached and when more often than not, it is bound to be lost in oblivion. But I assume that's just me. I hope your Neema sis is doing fine.

Indisguise:)

Very true Indi,

But relationships are not created...they happen. I never jump into relationships either...but I was at complete loss of words when she asked me to be her brother...was it a good idea to refuse? You tell me...

John I don't know if it was a good idea to refuse or not.

Talking about Chitwan, I spent a week there, the longest i spent outside KTM (in Nepal). Anyway, one of my fren's home is there, so I went there with her. It was great. One main difference that I found was, the ppl are so warm, friendly as compared to KTM. I don't know the name of the gaon we went to, its near that rhino museum. Do u know the name of the place?
Your stories brought back those memories. We both have promised to go back there one day.

BTW, great narration. all your stories are fun to read. Keep more coming.

meera,

I spent a year and a half there...and the village you are talking about could be parsa cos only it had a road going to all the sanctuaries.....there is a place named sauraha too...., gaida wildlife camp is next to it.

John_salt, great narration. Not only this one, but all your other anecdotes are thought provoking, and subtlely inspiring. It was a sheer pleasure.

Indi...more often than not, it goes into oblivion. But don't you think when you live abroad for years, even your own blood goes into oblivion more often than not :) maybe its jus me too.

>Wonder where Neema is now....she must have had beautiful kids by now....and a loving husband...

Yeah Sure! I think so too.
ल ल अरु पनि जाओस्।

John Galt !
R U from biratnagar?

Guff sunda tyastai lagyo...:P

John Galt dai , your narration is superb!!

thanks chill, dadagiri, sristi and kiwi,

thanks for your responses, and kiwi I am originally from kathmandu but spent some good long years in Biratnagar.

jhon da
hmm nice narration as usual:)
kasto sad story tara..
But relationships are not created...they happen. I never jump into relationships either...but I was at complete loss of words when she asked me to be her brother...was it a good idea to refuse? You tell me..>>>>>>>>
absolutely ryt ..
strange huncha ni kahile chindai nachineko sochdai nasocheko manche sangha relation yasto ramro bannu jancha .
when i came here...i was all alone,language problem,was missing home....crying alone in room.stayin in net for hours to get in contact with my friends and family in nepal...it was weird and rough.
beause i was painfully shy girl it was hard for me to get close with everyone....didi haru pani kohi bheteko thiyena..
ani was sitting on stadium and thinking abt my home..runu matrai baki thiyo all of sudden he came and said ..timi aile naya ayeko ho?i said hajur.
ani khana khayau ...i said "nai ..malai bolnu aundiana soo khayeko chiana ekchin ma teacher sangha jane hola."
side ma canteen cha hida khanu jane...
well he was kind of decent guy ...bhok lageko thiyo ackward lagi lagi
uthera gaye...
he brought big bottle ...i was scared laaa beer layeko hola bhanera..
i guess he noticed my looks and said dont worry its not a beer its juice. lemon juice..
that was funny.when i rememeber that day still brings smile in my face.

that was first converstion with my kale da..

aile ta i just irritate him. ..maile ta mero dai chaina bhanera pani birsinchu.because of him everybody loves me,cares me,sano sano kura ma pani phuchhe bhandai aunu huncha.he is graduating this year ani farewell ma runna bhanera baseko pani ruwayerai chadnu bhayo..bet thokeko thiyo ma runna bhanera..but he! he is just too much...afai ruwancha ani afai fakaunu auncha.




ur story is very nice jhon da.
and trust me neema le hajur lai ekdam miss garcha
as u miss her.aile ta sayaad behe pani bhayo hola
enjoyed reading:)

Ruina bahini,

I read all your replies with interest...you could be the sister i never had before.

aww so sweet john da
i am reading ur dialogue again and again..
trust me i am really honoured..:)
i am searching words to express my joy...as usual lack of words to express my feelings.


thank u da:)

What more to say John, one more milestone in your writing, nice as usual, just one question>>>is that real incident??? if it is it reminds me of my family saying to me when i was leaving home for job, "केटिहरुबाट बचेर बस्नु है, फेरि तँ फस्लास्।" had been more than year now, seems have no lady luck wid me...:oP...am happy to be single I think.. Single forever... ur incident was morever tragic one, feeling so pure yet "नेपाली समाज" as they say... hope Neema ji is happyly wedded as u say.
Keep writing,
निर्माण

Nirman,

That is a true incident, I find pleasure sharing my real life stories with you all. Thanks for your support, you are an incredible writer too.

Oys, yes it might when we live abroad for years. But let us be clear of one thing. In our blood relation we do not have a CHOICE.

In others, we DO.

Again 'perhaps', I see it differently. I assume that's just me.:)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lau ja, yaha arko naya nata suru huna lagecha. Hehe. :)

IndisGuise:)

Johnji:
I think you should think of publishing your stories as they are all so superb. Enjoy reading them all. Who knows you might outsmart our one and only Samrat Upadhaya one day...