(Part 1/3) “I had 4 brothers but all of them have passed away. One could not survive cholera. One was killed during the conflict when the army open fired on a Maoist gathering in our school. He was only 12 and we went to the same class and sat together. One of my brothers was stillborn. 

After the death of their three sons, father and mother were heartbroken. And with a lot of grief in his heart, father passed away too. It has been 10 years since he has been gone. My life changed after father died. He was the one who sent me to school. ‘You are no less than the boys. You will also go to school and make a good name for yourself when you grow up.’ Although I had started going to school, mother’s health worsened. The only remaining brother I had got married at an early age and had children. His wife was busy looking after them so I was the only woman in the house left to do the chores. While the men toiled in the fields, I would go collect grass for the animals, cook and clean the house. I hardly had any time to study. So I would stay up until very late to open my book and read a few pages. I would fall asleep due to exhaustion. The next day would be no different. Many a time I have gone to school hungry because I had no time to eat. I knew that if I was late the teacher would not let me inside the classroom so I made sure I was in class on time. The school was more important to me than food.” 

Stories of Nepal X BlinkNow