“I rented a room in her house to store the utensils that I would sell high in the hills. There were no roads so I would carry the goods in my back and hire a few porters to help me. After every trip I would make, I would return to her house, unload the remaining goods and rest my body for a few days before I left again. That is how I got to know her. I liked her but had not spoken to her yet, so one day I said something and she blurted out laughing. I think that is when I fell in love with her. Back then, it was not easy for us to meet in public so we would meet at abandoned places and talk about our lives. I would tell her the stories of my travels. She would listen happily. Very soon, with the permission of her parents we were married. Together, we struggled but our love never declined. We had six children. She was having health problems and she started to become weak. The doctor diagnose her with diabetes and high blood pressure. I had taken her to the doctor and she had started her medications when one day, all of a sudden, she left me. It broke my heart and changed me forever but I cannot explain to you how. There is not a single day I don’t think about her and the way she laughed. Before she passed away, she said, “I am sad to leave you but please have courage, life will not end for you and our children. I am happy that I lived my life with you and I am dying in your arms.” Sometimes, I still hear her laughter in the distance. (Padam Bahadur Baniya, Besisahar, Lamjung)