First Love

First Love

Published01 October 2015

Reading Time 2 mins

Author Stories of Nepal

Location Nepal

"I was thirteen when I got married, and she was a year older. I fell in love with her instantly. My first love. Since I was the only son, I had no one to play with so we became very close friends. It was only after a few years we truly understood the nature of our relationship. I think she already knew. She was smarter, unlike my thick brain. So our friendship turned into love as we grew older. She loved me and I loved her. One day, while returning from the forest with firewood she started complaining about her leg. The pain persisted until the next day so I told her to stay back home and rest while I go fetch the firewood. The pain didn't go away. Her parents also came to visit and together with my parents we called the local shaman to look at her and he performed a ritual. He said, "Someone has done wrong to her but she will be okay in a few days." But she got worse. No one ever mentioned a doctor. I was young and my mind didn't reach far. On the 9th day, she left me forever. I remember an hour before she passed away, she had said, "Don't worry, I am not going to die, everything will be okay." (Bhim Shrestha, Kausaltaar, Bhaktapur. Met him in Naag Pokhari, Kathmandu)

Join the Archival Journey

Receive weekly dispatches from the field—stories of resilience, tradition, and the changing landscape of Nepal delivered quietly to your inbox.