7.9 has left a great blank

I was holding my four-month-old sister and sitting on the bed on the third floor, watching the movie 'George of the Jungle'. I was enjoying the film when suddenly the electricity went out and with it came a great disaster. As soon as my bed began to shake, I knew it was an earthquake. My aunt, who was having her lunch, came rushing to us and I sat down holding my little sister tightly. I felt a great responsibility toward her.

At that moment, her mother was on the ground floor and I don't think anybody can know what she went through with her new baby away from her in that moment of danger. Along with my two sisters, I stayed put in the shaking room until the tremors passed.


All I could think of in those dangerous moments was the safety of my precious little sister. I prayed to God to save her and take me instead but I'm thankful that we were all saved.

But God took the soul of our country.

When it stopped, we quickly ran downstairs where I felt comforted a little seeing my sister looking at us with her teary eyes. But I couldn't stop crying a little as I hugged her. This was a tough and scary experience for me because most of my family members weren't at home. Usually, everyone is at home but that fateful Saturday, my father had gone to his office while my brother was at college and my sister was on her way to Chitwan.

Even before the devastating earthquake struck our country, Nepal was still struggling to develop. Political instability wasn't helping, either. We don't have a Constitution yet, and many people are deprived of life's most basic needs like food and shelter due to poverty and centralized development.

Yes, this was our country's situation. But the earthquake has damaged our whole life now. We have been living in utter fear due to the aftershocks that just won't stop even after nine days. The starting of our new year has been terrible. More than 7,000 people have lost their lives but this earthquake is relentless.

Our capital, Kathmandu, attracted people from all over Nepal and everyone in the country dreamt of settling down here. But now, thanks to the earthquakes, even those who had been living here want to move out in order to be safe from the tremors.

We may be safe but fear hasn't left us completely. Anything can happen any time.

Another thing that really saddens me is that I will be telling my juniors there once stood the Dharahara, the Gorkha palace, Changunarayan, beautiful Durbar Squares, etc. The earthquake in the BS 1990 (1934 AD) shattered the original Dharahara and we had to rebuild it for the next generation. Can our government do this again?

Except this time, it's not just Dharahara but a new construction of our history that will provide us our identity and pride in our heritage.

We have lost valuable things. Our hearts and hopes are cracking just like the houses. Now who will be responsible to help rebuild what we have lost? Who? When? And how?

A big question mark hangs in the air. Let's start with 'I' and make it 'us' to join each broken fragment to form something strong.

Alisha recently appeared for her SLC exams from VS Niketan School in Min Bhawan, Kathmandu.

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