Author’s Note:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, business establishments or events are coincidental.
My sincere thanks go to Saguna Shah for her criticism, encouragement and support and artist Gary Edward Jennings for the cover image.
“Karki’s writing are the windows to the soul through which ones see's not by the eyes but through the radiating light bouncing off the mighty Himalaya's. Each word carefully chosen and written in earnest purity,weighed with wisdom in lucid subversive style complements the narrative thereby creating moments worth living. Just like his true self-pure and honest that's Karki for you otherwise a book's a book.”
Basheer Ali
Director/ Writer , India
“I wish all the best for the success of your novel”
Sanjeev Uprety
Author, Nepal
1:00:00
"Dear Dad,
I am leaving your home in pursuit of my dreams. You have always wanted something from me but I want something from life. I don’t want to be a sailor and end up being a Captain. I am happy being a shepherd and I want to travel the world. So, I am going Dad. This is my last day in your house. You take care of yourself.”
Your loving son,
Osin
He wrote down on a piece of paper and read it over few times. Just when he began to add something more, there was a knock at the door.
“Osin,” he heard his father call out. Worried he blew out the candle in no time.
“Osin! Are you sleeping?” his father asked again.
After some time, Osin replied, “What is it dad, I am sleeping.”
“Please open the door. It’s urgent; I need to go down for water. I need the candle,” his father cried back.
Osin got up and went to the door with the candle, rubbing his eye pretending to be in deep slumber.
“Were you sleeping?” asked his father.
“Yes dad! You ruined my dream” he replied annoyingly.
“I am sorry to have disturbed your dream my son. But don’t you think dreams are just an illusion? Reality is more important than ones dream. However, better luck with your dream son, hope you see the same again,” his father assured with a smiling face as he went downstairs.
Osin stood by the door waiting for his father to come back with the candle.
“Okay, sleep well Osin, Goodnight” his father wished him.
“Good night Dad” he replied with a soft voice.
Osin leaned at the door for some time, pondering over the candle that had burnt one third of it. He put it back cautiously on the table next to his bed. It was a dark and cold January night. The gentle breeze that came through the window seemed to blow off the candle light. Beneath the blanket, Osin lay wide awake thinking about his future. His head was throbbing and was on the verge of bursting with thoughts galore. He turned and twisted trying to get some sleep. Hours later, lulled by the sound of ocean Osin dozed off to deep sleep.
The following morning Osin woke up slowly while it was still dark. Rubbing his eyes with his hand, he put kibosh on the candle. He glanced at the clock and got out of his bed. He peeked through the door inquisitively to see if anyone had woken up. Fortunately, the other side door was still closed. It seemed that father was still asleep. Osin quickly turned back and started looking for his clothes in the candle light. He packed them hastily in his school bag.
Suddenly, he heard some noise outside. He paused for while but the noise didn’t last long. Osin hoisted the bag on his back and went to the door groping through the darkness in the dim light. He took off the bolt and opened the door cautious enough not to make the slightest of noise. Even a tiny mistake would ruin his entire plan. Now he was enface the main entrance of the house. As he pulled the small piece of wood that was used as the lock of the house, it slipped from his hand and slapped the ground with a thud.
“Who is there downstairs?” he heard his father shout.
Frightened he hurriedly blurted, “It’s me, Dad. I’m going for bathroom.”
“Close the door firmly after you return back. Nowadays, there are terrors of tiger .”
“Okay” he faltered.
Osin stepped out closing the door firmly behind. It was freezing outside . The dogs started barking louder as he strode ahead taking wide steps. Time and again, he looked back to see if there was anyone following him. As the early risers looked towards his direction Osin felt chicken hearted, as though they were suspecting him. It was his own guilty conscience of abandoning his old father, that made Osin feel that way. The road tread innumerous time seemed to be all new. With a mind full of anxiety and trepidation, Osin took fast pace concentrating on his plan. However, he was skeptical of failure. It was like playing the game of spoon and marble where one fears dropping the marble despite sheer concentration.
Osin continued in this same pace until he reached the ocean. Fortunately one of the ships was just ready to move. He hurriedly went to the counter, scuffling with the coins that he had collected over a period and asked for the ticket.
“Where are you going so early; Ocean (for Osin)?, asked the man behind the ticket counter. He was an old acquaintance.
“ To my uncle’s house. He is very sick,” Osin replied with a gloomy visage.
Handing over the ticket, the man wished for his uncle’s good health. “Thank you sir” Osin said running towards the ship.
It had been nineteen years that Osin first opened his eyes, soon after his mother bid adieu forever. After some years, longing for a companion, his father remarried. In fact, man and the skin of cut wounds are similar, both long for new after the death of old ones. In the initial days, Osin got immense care and attention from his new mother. But after the birth of her child, her own flesh and blood the intensity of love went on lessening. In front of his father, his new mom acted like a rose , gentle and soft. Little did dad realize that it was only a façade, underneath which lay the knife-like thorns.
Osin was born in a heavenly village which was beautifully nestled in the lap of the Himalayas from the three sides and kissed by the ocean from the other side. The first rays of Sun rose from those lanky Himalayas and set along the waves of ocean. With the traction of Sun’s maturing rays, those plants of maize in the field danced crazily in their own way. Groups of birds flying in the sky rested in the shore sharing their happiness and sadness with each other. The silent ocean was the peaceful shade for the thirsty travelers and birds.
The sounds of spring fall always echoed the village. Budgelaa village was small but it was a wonderful abode to live in. Many sailors came in the village with their treasures and rested for one or two days before they moved to another village. Osin’s father was also one of the sailors of the Ocean. He also had a dream; a dream to make his son a captain of the ship or a priest at the church. Though he was only a sailor, Osin’s father wished his son did better in life. Every parent wants their children in a superior position than themselves. It’s called the advancement of generation and a good sign of development. To accomplish the dream of his father, he was admitted to nearby school but his education couldn’t last for long. He studied till the fifth grade and then he finally quit choosing to be a shepherd instead. Osin had realized education and degree was not his cup of tea. His father not only insisted and tried to make him see reason but also punished him to no avail. Osin was adamant about not going back to study. He had stopped eating altogether which worried his father. Despite coaxing him several times his father was left with no choice but to succumb to Osin’s wish. When there is life, there is always hope of gettin
g everything. No life, no hope. This single decision of Osin led to several repercussions. Firstly, the depression level of his father had gone to utmost level. Osin was happy and his step mom was even happier than anyone else. Now, not only did she have a domestic help but Osin would also end up becoming just a shepherd and nothing else.
Henceforth, Osin’s hectic schedules commenced. He would slog all day tired to the bones but his labor was never appreciated. Only his flaws were picked out. It was very difficult to please his step mother as she would always bicker about anything that he did. Now that Osin was there to help her, she had enough of free time to wander about the village and gossip.
Osin had to wake up early in the morning, go to the church for prayers , return back to cook food for his Choate family. During the daytime, he was busy with his sheep and goat. He had to go to mountains, pastures, with his other fellow shepherds his sheep and goats.. He had especial affection for his sheep and goats. He would let them graze in a place and stretch out down in the lush green open field watching the blue sky. He dreamt of flying like the birds and visiting many places. But before his dreams soared high he had to land back to the harsh reality. Dusk would fall by the time he reached home and there would be the household chores left to be done
One day, as he was watching a