“I had just returned from work when I got the call. It was milan. He told me that my wife, Anjali, was really sick and had been admitted to the hospital. He told me it was best if I took the next flight home. Next day I asked my boss for a few days leave and left Delhi and headed towards Kathmandu. I was thinking of Mendo, my 8 months old daughter and Buddha, my 2 years old son during the entire flight. I reached Kathmandu and Milan was there to pick me up at the airport. He hugged me. It was very unlike

Milan. He acted strange. When I asked him which hospital my wife was admitted, he told me that she had been discharged and was sent back home. We boarded a bus that would take us to my village, Nama Buddha in Kavre. All this while Milan kept quite. The bus stopped for tea and I went to buy some fruits to take to my kids and my wife. Milan distracted me from buying the fruits also. We reached my village and started walking towards my house. I was looking at the direction of my house which on earlier occasions was visible from a distance. But not this time. I could not see my house. I asked Milan ‘Where’s my house? Where’s my house?’. At that moment, Milan looked at me and burst out in tears and started wailing. It was then I came to my senses. I realized something terrible had happened. I ran towards my house. Milan followed yelling ‘Dai, Stop! Dai, please stop!’. I reached at where once my house stood. There was nothing but just a big pile of black rubble. My house was gone. Everything had burnt down. Everything. I looked back and cried at Milan. Where is Anjali? Buddha? Mendo? He started crying louder and louder.” – Anil Tamang, Nama Buddha, Kavre, Met him in Tudikhel, Kathmandu