Chapter One : Sunshine

"Chhoreeeeee!!" she heard her mom's excited voice as she pushed her luggage cart through arrival gate at Tribhuvan Airport. Amidst the sea of taxi drivers, policemen, gun-totting soldiers, placard-bearing hotel staff and occasional shouts of "Bahini, taxi chainchha?" , she saw her mom rush towards her with a big smile and wide-open arms.

"Mummy" was all she could muster as her throat went dry . It had been 7 years since she met her mom and she struggled to stay composed as her mom wrapped her in her arms and asked "Kasto chaa talai?"

"Mummy!" she said again and found herself at a loss for words. She had told herself when she boarded the plane in Los Angeles that she would not cry when she saw her mom but somehow a few drops had managed to trickle down her cheeks. She wanted to ask "Malai kina America jana dieko? Kina narokeko? Kina hajur haru sangai narakheko?" Nothing of the sort came out as she looked at her mother's ever so beautiful and radiant face.

"Oho choreei, ayi pugyau timi?" she sensed a faint quaver in her dad's voice. Her dad looked so much older than the last time she saw him in LA. He had grayed significantly around the temples and a receding hairline now stood prominently atop his otherwise handsome face.

"Oye! Ke chha talai? her brother slapped her on the back as she lay buried in her mom's arms "Manchhe hasi hasi niskanchan airport bata, ta chai kina ruyeko ni? America lai miss garna thali sakis ho? Ki koi American lai?" As always, he was the first to laugh at his own joke.

"Nakara, badta naho" she regained her composure "Mummy, dada ke bha esto!"

"Khoi, ke bha! Ghar ma kahile basne hoina" her mother lamented and went down her laundry list of complaints "Khali ghumnu phirnu matra chha. Sathi haru sabai bihe garna thali sake, tero dai lai ta hero bhayera restaurant chaharnu ra ghumnu matra parchha"

They all laughed as her brother pushed the trolley towards an awaiting vehicle.

"Aaan, sachi, oo chai Bibek ho" her mom pointed towards a guy standing next to her. "Geeta aunty ko nata parchha , Australia bata asti enginering sakera ayeko"

She could barely register a nod at him as he said "Hi". He smiled back and quickly took leave of her parents. The ride home from the airport was filled with excited conversation and laughter as everybody seemed to be speaking on top of their voices, often at the same time and sometimes over each other. The blue Kathmandu sky and the majestic Ganesh Himal added to the feeling of perfect bliss.

Chhiring - Thanks for reading.

Birbhadra - That's what I had guessed too but for some reason though there might been another meaning .... but nice to know. Thanks.

Hurray - I am laughing especially at the last part of your comment - my, my you are quick to jump to conclusions about my motivation for writing this, huh? :) To be honest, Bollywood was not anywhere close to my mind when I was thinking this through. Thanks though for reading and leaving your comment.

John - What's this "sweetie" business? ..he he ... ;) Ahem ahem .... LOL ... just kidding hai.

Anonymous - Good to read your comments. How are you? I agree Vantage Point seems to be really honing in on her poetic skills these days. Btw, this is all fiction ... no connection to any specific event ... :)

lol...awesome story.
ba galt ji ko story padhne before i get to work on partial differential equations again :(
koi cha mero bedana share garne?
lol

superb simply superb!
-Shiv

I don;t think it's bollywood. Bollywood ma ta online haina kahilyai nadekhko keta keti ko bihe huncha.
At least here they got married after gettign to know each other.
Ramro lagyo.
I wish mero bihe pani yesari nai hos. Hehehehe.
Tara i wudnt mind marrying someone who i met online if i were to meet her later on and fall in lop.

Simple and interesting... Could not digest that Anjana decided to get engaged just bcoz her family seemed happy.. however.. we never know what the future holds ...

Hehe, Tyo keta le pani ta aafno parents kai bhanai ma bihe garyo ni. Aba parents khusi huda aafu khusi hune khalki manche raiche Anjana. Tyasaile khusi bhai. Bichari, ke lagcha? Keto pani ta ramro raicha ni.
Tara aafno parents le bhaneko keta sita pani turuntai bihe garnu thik haina. Anjana le gareko ramro lagyo. First she got to know him , then she got married.

I read my own life-story, with tears all over my eyes, cheeks and the keyboard. that was so marmic, its not even funny. I am such an emotional fool, yo!

about the Aussie in your story, I ended up with mine.

Alive again!!!!;oP hehee


anyways sajha gazer...u sure it felt good?ki?;oP hehe...anyways i guess it might be fiction for u..but for others?ke tha?plus u saw ratopul just confirmin it might not really be fiction?;oP hehe...

oh yah guess wat?i didnt have any 'motives' to make this thread alive again hai hehe..but thinkin about it..u know wat?i just think if anyone reads ur story...demand for aussie(based in australia) guys might just get better?;oP hehe...not demand but u know wat i mean?;oP hehe..

anymore soon?esp any more 'aussie' character?;oP hehe..

good day :oD

"She ate her jetlag away." resonates with me; you've captured the feelings of a prodigal daughter like me. :)

Can't wait to do the same, this summer.