Life and Choices

            Nepal being an agriculture based country, celebrates each sphere of  agriculture supporting it uniquely naming them in the form of Festival. Instances are Kirat Rai community celebrates Ubhauli Festival as praying mother nature for good crops and protection from natural calamities, Sakela-Udhauli Festival for rice harvesting and thanking god for good crops and most importantly every farmer from all communities of Nepal celebrates Ashar -15, considered as Dahi Chiura( Yogurt & beaten rice) eating Festival along with rice plantation.  Dahi-Chiura             Ashar (Mid June) being the major monsoon season in Nepal, is the month of rice plantation across the country. Mainly in the Hilly areas of Nepal, the day Ashar 15 is celebrated as Ropai(Plantation) Festival. It could be visualized as Oxen ploughing fields, women sowing seeds and men digging the fields. The best part of this festival is throwing mud at each other and being drenched all over with muddy w

A month Before Scene 1: Talking with one of my Security Guards at office “Madam I should quit the job, my house collapsed in village and the salary I get is not sufficient to renovate it, I should go back to village and start farming instead” “Moti Lal Dai(Brother), don’t talk about quitting job in front of me! continue until your age allows you, ask your family to stay over with you” “------ gazes and smiles” After Few days             Scene 2:  Moti Lal dai comes with a choice “Madam I am  quitting , I had applied to another company and they are offering me a good salary this time,some provident fund facility is also  available . I think I would be able to work more 2-3 years now, I should hold some money to go back home” “ Moti Lal dai, you  disappointed  me!! you shouldn’t have left” “I would visit here daily Madam, I would be working in same area here only another Bank,too near from here” It was really sad to hear the news, a man of above 50 in