भाग १ · सन् १९९५ · नारायण मिश्रको संस्मरण

तीन जोर कपडा, पचास रुपैयाँ र घरबाट भागेको बाल्यकाल

कक्षा ५ मा पढ्ने म पैसा कमाउन घरबाट भागेको थिएँ। शरीरमा तीन जोर कपडा थिए, र साथमा पूजाकोठाबाट चोरेको चाँदीको प्रतिमा। विराटनगर पुगेर होटलमा काम गर्दा के भोग्नुपर्ला भन्ने मलाई थाहै थिएन।

हामी चार जना स्कुले साथी मिलेर घर छाड्ने योजना बनाएका थियौँ। त्यो कलिलो उमेरमा पैसा कमाउने रहर यति ठूलो भयो कि घर छाडेपछिको जीवन कस्तो होला भनेर सोच्नै भ्याएनौँ।

झोलामा कपडा बोके घरमा शङ्का हुन्छ भन्ने लाग्यो। त्यसैले तीन–तीनवटा पाइन्ट र गन्जी खप्टिएर लगायौँ। हामीलाई लाग्यो—अब कसैले थाहा पाउँदैन।

पछि पो थाहा भयो, एक जना व्यक्तिले हामीलाई देखेर शङ्का गरेका रहेछन्, “यत्रो कपडा लगाएर यिनीहरू कहाँ गएका होलान्?”

भुजेल डाँडा पुगेपछि हामीले खप्टिएर लगाएका कपडा खोल्दै मिलाउन थाल्यौँ। त्यही बेला परबाट एक जना चिनेको मान्छे साइकलमा आउँदै गरेको देख्यौँ।

हामीले हतारहतार कपडा पोको पार्‍यौँ र अर्कै दिशातिर लाग्यौँ।

जानुपर्ने थियो विराटनगर। योजनाअनुसार मुख्य योजनाकारसँग बिर्तामोडको अन्नपूर्ण चलचित्र हलअगाडि भेटेर अघि बढ्ने सल्लाह थियो। तर त्यहाँ ऊसँग भेट भएन।

अब हामी तीन जना मात्र थियौँ। तैपनि फर्किएनौँ। अलमलमै अगाडि बढ्यौँ।

दमक पुगेपछि मैले घरको पूजाकोठाबाट चोरेर ल्याएको चाँदीको प्रतिमा बेच्ने कुरा भयो। साथीहरूले मलाई सामान कुर्न लगाए र आफूहरू सुन पसलतिर गए।

त्यो प्रतिमा कतिमा बेचे, मलाई आजसम्म थाहा छैन। फर्किएपछि मेरो हातमा पचास रुपैयाँ मात्र थमाइदिए।

अर्को साथीसँग घडी थियो। त्यो पनि हामीमध्येकै एक जनाले किन्यो। हामीमध्ये एक जनासँग अरूभन्दा धेरै पैसा थियो। उसले जे भन्थ्यो, हामी त्यही गर्थ्यौँ। अहिले सम्झँदा बुझ्छु—उसले हाम्रो कमजोरीको फाइदा उठाउँथ्यो।

यसरी हामी विराटनगर पुग्यौँ। त्यहाँ एउटा होटलमा झन्डै दुई हप्ता काम गर्‍यौँ।

पैसा कमाउन घर छाडेको हाम्रो यात्राले अब अर्कै मोड लिएको थियो।

ती दुई हप्तामा के भयो? त्यसको दर्दनाक कथा अर्को भागमा।

क्रमशः…

PART 1 · 1995 · A MEMOIR BY NARAYAN MISHRA

Three Layers of Clothes, Fifty Rupees, and a Childhood on the Run

I was in Grade Five when I ran away from home to earn money. I wore three layers of clothes and carried a silver idol stolen from our family prayer room. I had no idea what awaited me in a hotel in Biratnagar.

There were four of us—school friends with a plan to leave home and make money. At that age, the promise of earning was enough. We had barely thought about what life away from home would actually mean.

We thought carrying bags of clothes would make our families suspicious. So we put on three pairs of trousers and layered our vests underneath our clothes.

We believed nobody would notice.

Only later did we learn that someone had seen us and wondered, “Where are those children going, wearing so many clothes?”

When we reached Bhujel Danda, we began taking off the extra layers and sorting them out. Then we spotted someone we knew approaching on a bicycle.

We hurriedly bundled everything together and headed in another direction.

Our destination was Biratnagar. The plan was to meet the boy who had organised everything outside Annapurna Cinema in Birtamod, then travel together.

But we never met him there.

Now there were just three of us. Confused but still determined, we kept going.

In Damak, we decided to sell the silver idol I had stolen from our prayer room. My friends left me guarding our belongings while they went to a gold shop.

To this day, I do not know how much they sold it for.

When they returned, they gave me just fifty rupees.

Another friend had a watch, which one of the boys in our group bought. One of us had more money than the others, and whatever he said, we followed. Looking back, I can see how he took advantage of our vulnerability.

Eventually, we reached Biratnagar and worked in a hotel for about two weeks.

We had left home hoping to earn money. Our journey was about to take a painful turn.

What happened during those two weeks? That story comes in the next part.

To be continued…