After the shake

Kathmandu will never be the same. Well actually, Nepal will never be the same. But because I was born and bred in Kathmandu, I will focus this post more on the place I have fallen in love with since I was a kid.

I don’t have the exact memory of the first time I went to Kathmandu Durbar Square (Basantapur/Hanumandhoka) or Bhaktapur Durbar Square (Khauma) for while my home is in the former city, my maternal home is in the latter one. But I remember the first time I went to Patan Durbar Square (Mangalbazaar) and getting mesmerized by it. All of these Squares and the cities have their own importance for me. Kathmandu is home, Bhaktapur is my haven and Patan is where all the memories were made. I have memories of each galli and chowks in these three areas and there peripheral regions. I remember walking hand in hand with my friends, making noise and not giving a shit about anyone here. These squares have seen many stories made, history created and moments unfolded. They have seen Kings being changed, power crumbled and life molded. And now these squares have been destroyed by the earthquake that took place on April 25, 2015.

If you ask me how I feel right now, I will probably end up keeping quiet. But give me some time and I will tell you how I feel right now. How I dread going back to these places knowing that they don’t exist the way I knew them to. Because life as I knew is never going to be the same. I feel like I have lost my beloved and realize I will never get him back.

A.N. To know what Kathmandu looked like before the quake, here is a video for you all. Thanks to the NYTimes for this one.