"Ayeko thiyo, gayo bhanidinu."
Mayur Times by Narayan Wagle
This line sort of helps Wagle's story unfold in his book. The novel is based on the Maoist insurgency times. We have two protagonists Nisara, the journalist, and Parag, the friend. While traveling, Parag finds herself stuck in traffic. So she decides to get a cup of tea at the roadside tea shop run by an elderly woman. There while enjoying her local chiya, Parag notices this very line, etched on a boulder nearby. This makes her laugh out loud and she wonders who could have written it. Could it be a lost traveler or a jilted lover?
When her curiosity gets the better of her, she decides to ask the tea shop owner. Apparently, it was her son and he had been killed by the Maoists. The tea shop lady shares that her son was a bus driver and used to drive through her shop often. Whenever that would happen, he always made it a point to stop by and check on her. The last time, her son went through the route, she was nowhere to be found so he had left that message for her.
As Parag learns this and eventually the unfortunate death that met her son, she feels an urgency to raise a voice against the injustice of it all and thus, begins the tumultuous story. "I had come, let them know I left," the line is just so poignant and it instantly stuck with me. I even remember putting the line as my status at the time.
“Sanatana dharmi haru aja pani punya labha garna ‘Kanyadan’garchan. Ke chori daan ra chora maan garna ka lagi hun? Daan bhaneko ‘punya’ ko lobhale garine bikri ho. Deutai ekai ho. Chori daan garne le beche pani huncha. Nagad hathai huncha, punya udaro.”
Antarmaan ko Yatra by Jagdish Ghimire
This is the first Jagdish Ghimire book that I have completed and I found it to be very powerful indeed. Antarmaan ko yatra isn't fiction, in fact he wrote it when he had cancer. Though he was always appreciated for his writing prowess, he hadn't quite been able to dedicate his time to writing due to his busy schedule. However, after being diagnosed with cancer, during the period when he was recommended to rest in isolation, he picked his pen and paper and wrote this book. Thus you could call it a reflection on life.
While reading the book, there certainly were moments that really upset me. You do wonder about how fragile and unfair life can be. However, Ghimire also packs in many lessons and advices here. He shares how he had handled and overcome all the obstacles presented to him. His accomplishments aside though, this line really struck a chord with me.
I come from a village in the west where girls are expected to abide by some very orthodox rules. There are many do's and dont's and they have always irked me. I have some issues with some Nepali wedding customs. Words like 'kanyadan' don't make any sense to me. We woman aren't something you can just donate. Also customs such as the father of the bride bowing down to the groom, I believe, is unnecessary. I thought Ghimire summed all of these thoughts very nicely in a single line.
“Bikash bhaneko gatisheel tatha nirantar rupma arthik, samajik, rajnitik, sanskritik, prasasanik ra batabarniya chetra ma bhayeko sakaratamak pariwartan ho.”
Sambriddha Nepal by Rabindra Adhikari
At this stage, I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one who is eager to see more stability in our country. We have all been suffering this past year as we try and tackle the various national crises that have befallen us. So when I stumbled upon Adhikari's book, it turned out to be a very satisfying read.
In Sambridha Nepal, the writer explains what development means. Then he basically presents various ideas on how development can be achieved especially in the context of our country. I have yet to read a book that gives such an all round insight into the matter. It was such an interesting read that I finished it in two days.
Now there are many lines that are worth highlighting and rereading in this book. However, I picked the above line because I believe it is an apt gist of what we should be aiming for.We are all concerned about our country and it's crucial that we start working for social, economic and political stability as well as prosperity. I'd recommend this book to everyone especially the leaders who, by the looks of it, definitely need some guidance.
“Dherai din pachi oo sanga bhet bhayo. Maile bhane euta mitho jhut bolideuna ani u muskuraundai bhanyo, mailai timro yaad dherai auncha.”
Summer love by Subin Bhattarai
I enjoying mixing up different genres of books while reading them and just around my 12th grade exams, the book creating a lot of buzz in my friends' circle was Summer love. So I gave it a shot during my post exam break. It was nice to have some leisurely time to enjoy this book because as it turned out almost everyparagraph had a quotable line. It certainly takes you through an emotional rollercoaster.
The line I have picked is uttered half way through the book when the main couple is going through a bit of a rough patch. You might think it was the girl who made such a hurtful remark but it was the guy and you might think he was joking but he wasn't. Our male lead here has a bit of a volatile temperament. He tends to blurt out things without much consideration for the consequences and this was just one of the cases.
The way Bhattarai has phrased this particular sentiment packs quite a punch. It's bit of a 'did he really say that?' moment. I think it also gives a nice preview to all of those who have not read this book. You can expect several juicy plot twists throughout Bhattarai's love story. You may even develop bit of a love-hate relationship with several characters. But at the end of the day, this is a good read. Many tend to pick English romantic novels over Nepali but, while I agree English romance has its own charm, I also firmly believe Nepali love stories also hold their own ground.