Even with a power cut of 16 hours a day, the city of Kathmandu looked still polluted and noisier. Not only the people who contributed to the hubbub it’s the new range of generator that not only polluted the air but also made irritating sound. My pocket was a little heavier than yesterday since my salary was deposited today. With installment of loans and few more deductions my payroll looked so helpless. I am planning to enroll to a graduate degree but even with all my salary I will fall short by Rs. 3000 (Roughly around USD 45) a month. I have to get a part-time job in the morning. I am enrolling myself to the degree for the sake of interest in spite of the fact that I could have enrolled to cheaper degrees but I didn’t.
For the first time yesterday I remained almost hungry even after the lunch since my wallet was empty and still three days remained for the end of month in the Nepalese calendar. At home I was so frustrated since I had to compromise the very basic need of a human being, ‘food’. For those who know me, know me as someone forgetful and rather unpredictable. I ruminated over the expenditures this month since this was the first time when I hadn’t been able to save money when a month ended. I pondered with closed eyes, still frustrated for the way life had turned out to be. Even stressing my head which was already aching for more than ten minutes, I couldn’t find where I had failed. Apart for my allocation for lunch and travel only books are the one where I deliberately spend relatively large sum. I usually allocate around Rs. 1000 (USD 15) for books. I had been to Pokhara where I had over spent but even that shouldn’t have made my situation miserable. Just then I got an SMS from a friend which said “I won’t be able to return your book before the second week of next month”. OK, that is what I had forgotten, I had spent another Rs. 1000 (USD 15) on that book. I had bought four books this month which summed to Rs. 2500, Rs. 1500 more than regular. No electricity means no computers, no television which means the only time pass, enjoyment I can offer myself are books. I have finished seven books this month.
So, I started with the weight of my pocket. The city doomed in darkness was still displaying its glamour in the sun which will excuse itself for the day anytime from now. Just to avoid climbing the steps over the over-head bridge built by the KMC’s office (Kathmandu Metropolitan City), I cross the road at the zebra-crossing a little earlier but to my dismay the traffic police had blocked the zebra crossing. I looked at the detested over head bridge which seemed to make face to me. I pulled myself but just at the door of a book shop I just took a turn and I found myself asking ‘do you have Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers?’ the expected reply ‘No’. May be this is what they call the power of money. Yesterday I couldn’t feed myself fully and today I was giving me a different treat. I wanted to backtrack right away but the smell of fresh leaves of books was just too irresistible. I was looking at the shelves decorated with variety of books. There were Bestsellers which would have normally landed to my hand anyway and the pages would have been turned but no. All of a sudden it seemed my appetite for fiction seemed to be a passé. I spent a greater part in the management and economics section. I looked if there was any politics and development section but there wasn’t any. I returned empty handed. I cannot wait for the day when I will be enrolled in the college where a good library awaits me.
But then for those who know me also know my love for books may be just temporary. It may be replaced by new one very soon. Albeit, books and movies may decline in the list of my priorities, they will reclaim their position sooner or later. The recently read books has certainly changed and widened my view of this world. These days my subject of choice is economics and development. Luckily these books have made me realize we as a nation are not at any hopeless situation but the recent power crisis has terrified me that we are already in the path of sharp decline. Everyday more and more industries are closing, surplus labor with no jobs in hand is in rise. While I was pleased to know in spite of the civil war the living standard of people in average had risen I am so taken aback the restoration of peace hasn’t been able to do much.
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