"I was so scared when I couldn't contact my wife. I was even more worried when I eventually talked to her and she told me that our kid was injured," says Sherchan.
Sherchan's two and half year old daughter Yeshika was playing on the rooftop of their rented house when the earthquake hit and she fell. Yeshika wasn't badly injured but it added to the panic and chaos brought about by the natural disaster.
"By the time I finally arrived in Kathmandu at nine at night, my wife and daughter had taken shelter at the Nepal Army Officers Club's ground," says Sherchan, adding that there was confusion and havoc at the grounds with people jostling for the best spots to set up temporary shelters.
Sherchan's family was initially offered shelter in one of the many tents set up by the Pashupati Marwari Sangh but then they soon started bringing in more people and forced Sherchan's family to move out. "We requested them to let us stay in one corner but they were adamant that we leave so we had no option but to try and find a spot for ourselves," he says.
However, on the first night Sherchan's family was forced to stay out in the open and brace the cold. They couldn't sleep and had nothing to eat. On top of that, they had their child to look after.
"It was insane and we felt so helpless. We were sleep deprived and on the verge of a nervous breakdown of sorts," he says explaining how on Sunday morning they went home to sleep for a bit but an earthquake struck the moment they entered and they had to rush back to the army grounds again. But fortunately for Sherchan, on the second day, an Indian family offered them their tent.
But the situation at the army grounds was worse on Sunday as people were fighting for food and space. People had to stand in long queues for a small box of beaten rice that came in the form of aid. Though there were small stalls and stores selling food items and bottled water, the prices of these essential items were double or triple their original prices.
"A bottle of water is 40 rupees and noodles are priced according to the shopkeepers," says Sherchan adding how a simple meal of rice, daal, and vegetables costs Rs 140 at a local restaurant nearby.
But this is the least of their worries, at least for now. The family is still living in a small tent that they are now sharing with their neighbors. Eleven people share a tiny space that just isn't big enough for all of them to sleep in. Even when they try to squeeze themselves in, the tent only has space for eight people at the most.
For Sherchan's family who are still scared to go into their house, uncertainty looms large. They are yet to figure out what to do and where to go next. What make things worse are the rumors. Many families who have taken shelter in the premises of the Nepal Army Officer's Club have heard that a bigger quake is yet to strike and though they say they know that earthquakes can't be predicted, logic seems to evade them and all that remains is fear.
In such a scenario the Sherchan family, like many other families in the area, remains ready to spend additional nights in the cold as they are unable to return home. "We are planning to stay here for the night and only if there is no tremor throughout the night will we even consider going back into the house," says Sherchan.
However, amidst all the uncertainty, there is one thing that's definite: Fear of another earthquake won't let them get much sleep. "At least not for a few more days," confirms Sherchan.
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