“What is life to you?” This is probably the most-often asked question. “All my life, I went through pain and sorrow. It’s still the same,” said Prem Lal Shrestha, 68.
“My parents were out in the fields. I was alone at home. I had just started crawling then. Unfortunately, I fell and damaged my leg. One of my legs was disabled after the fall. I lost my parents when I was a three-year old. My aunt (phupu) raised me. I grew up in Kulekhani.
As a teenager, I was taken to India for work, along with my friends from Kulekhani. We worked for three years in a restaurant. Through those years, the owner never gave us money. He instead accused us of having things done on credit. Police rescued us from there. After that, I came to Kathmandu. I worked as a gatekeeper (chaukidar ). It has been almost 20 years that I left working. I suffered from different dysfunctions including Uric acid. Recently, I was operated to remove a lump from my leg.
It got worse,” said Prem lal Shrestha. He could not stand or sit properly. He has to eat standing because of rib dislocation. It has been 36 years since Ganga Shrestha, his wife, has been accompanying him. She is 49. She has been running a shop near Bhotebahal,Pipalbot for around 35 years. She has been serving tea and roti in the shop. “I barely remember the obstacles I went through raising my four children.
Happiness resides in being together with my husband and family. I work in my shop from 6 in the morning. Now that my children have grown up, they have been helping to support the family,” said Ganga Shrestha.