This is a story of a Nepalese origin family settled in Bhutan, the pride of Bhutan. People from different countries migrate to Bhutan from the beginning of seventeen century, to capture the comforts of better living, leaving their motherland. This desolation, from their very own nation has rudely snatched the intrinsic love and motherhood offered by their land. All the same, it has bred a mixed culture in the families and the generations to come. The culture grew up and time was passing by. And then once...

Mr. Ramkrishna Baral and his wife Samkala Baral didn't have much wealth and pleasure of being a spend thrift but, happiness and bliss surrounded them anywhere and everywhere while they were in Pokhara in spite of getting married in their younger age but not so in Lamidada. Lady luck never seemed to be friendly to them. Not even their two children's, named Syam aged 12 and Maya aged 8, could bring the lost glory of their family once upon a time. Lamidada was a land of opportunities for talented hands. Mr. Ramkrishna was a doctor of 'Ayurbedic' par excellence. His career elevated, beyond his thinking and working. He made some money, wealth and everything he desired to earn before migrating to Bhutan. Money could buy him most of the things that he wanted. Wealth served him with material happiness but brought bad habits as well. He started to involve in the games of politic, gamble and fell in bad company of men and women in the sense of politic without any base of acknowledgement even though he was a doctor. He was fascinated to reminding former political system of Nepal while he was student. He wanted to known as speaker of all the Nepalese voice in Bhutan. He wanted to have his wife's support, only for his moral support. The sweetness of his wife and the aesthetics of her angelic charm were lost to the glamour of that drama of political glasses. She felt helpless, yet she revolted with all courage and determined to work out her marriage without hurting their children. What followed was a big fight of words and an argument against each other in the daily life. An unbalanced parent cannot make their children's happy and balanced. They learn what they see. Syam and Maya used to cry and secretly pray to god, that their parent's refrained form fights forever and reunite with an unbreakable bond harmony and affection.

This story revolves round two brother and sister who were brought up in a non congenial habitat. They lived in their own world and loved each other endlessly. Maya uses to wear a spectacle at a tender age of nine, something she detested by all means. She thought, she looked miserable in glasses and the very idea of wearing glasses was hopeless. She would never drink her milk and throw lots of tantrums doing her normal chores. She needed love and attention from her parents that was sadly missing in their family. That day, it was a Sunday, when Maya woke up from her sleep, to open her cupboard to get her favourite 'Curinya' and she yelled,
"Aaaaah Sadhu! a Sadhu in my room..."
Syam laughed as much as he never laughed before and said,
"Hello Maya listen, its me, look here, this is just a yellow dresses that I brought from Yesh uncle's house. Actually I asked it for you to make you afraid!"
"I won't talk to you any more" she said showing her anger.
"Oh you won't! I bet you will" said Syam as he took out his guitar and sang a song for her while his finger gently fondling the stiffness of the guitar strings.
"Angel's darling it's a morning wake up now .All these dreams you saw tell me how, I can guess from your smile and I can feel it from your eyes...." His songs were a display of melody and magic. Still showing her little anger and crawling slowly towards Syam she gently placed her head on his thighs and said 'Keep singing' Sadly, she didn't have presence of father and mother even though they were present. Mr. and Mrs. Baral did love their child but they were too busy with their own fights and affairs. The sight of Syam and Maya playing together and making merry did make them happy but could not however bring the lost happiness and bond of love. Days followed one after another, their misery mounted exponentially. Slowly but surely the kids were losing faith in their parents and were drawn away in to their own world. Nevertheless, the glorious moments that they shared made an everlasting impact on their tender minds.

It was a glorious afternoon that day with bright flowers blooming in the lawn in their flamboyance elegance as though smiling at one another. The gentle blonde sunshine seems to fill the domains of the flowers, making them rich, divine and radiant. Maya came home crying, from Lamidada high school where she studied. "I won't go to school any more" said Maya whipping her tears, dripping through the square rim of her thick glasses she wore and hiding her face very vigorously. "Why? What did happen Maya?" he asked.
"My friends tease me for the glasses I wear. I look miserable in them" She complained hiding her face in the folds of her hands.
"Is that all? Who said you look awful. You look stunning" Said Syam slipping out her glasses and wearing it to himself.
"Look at me! Do I look ugly with your glasses?" he said with his lips filling up with a broad smile, extending as much it can.
"No! I won't wear these glasses again" she said.
"You are my prettiest sister that any brother can have, just like a polar star, unique and exquisite, among the crowd of stars in a starry night" he said consoling her. "You know something what did the Yesh uncle and Anu Aunty whispered to the pink Rose, while I was passing by them?" He asked.
"What" she replied showing considerable interest in him and removing the tears from her wet eyes.
"Well! They said that, Maya is the most prettiest flower in this garden and when you smile you look like a Makhamali flower with a packet of sweetness all over you. Even I heard father and mother saying the same thing about you"
"Really?" she asked bit amazed with a smile on her face.
"Yes! I overheard the flowers saying that, when I was passing by them" He said.
"Hmmm, may be, but you remain close to me. I like it that way" She said.
"Certainly I will. We both are born out of same flesh and blood. I shall be close to you and also sing a song for you daily, without which you can't sleep" He said. She started to laugh and almost forgot that she was crying a little while ago.

The same day in the evening Mr. Baral was to go to a meeting in the village. He was dressed up in a white Kurtha Pajama, while Mrs Baral was dressed up in a Saree. They kissed their children and promised to come back soon. They were heavily remarked by the authority while they returned home. Probably the way of gathering people for their own values and rights was the big question in the eyes of authority but they were bewaring of this of course.
"What was the sense in misbehaving in the meeting?" He asked his wife while undressing himself and wearing his night dress.
"I was misbehaving, or you were trying to act like a politician, you know very well that I hate the politics and I don't want that you do it" she said.
"Casual discussing our own rights with friends and it is not a politics" he replied.
"That was not discuss but forcibly putting yourself in to the politics of being a great speaker" she replied.
"Enough is enough. I have already kept my mind that I'm going do something I had to long ago but it doesn't disturb me to doing my own profession too, where's wrong?..."
"Yes its disgusting to live with a pest like you. I'm worrying about our children, I shall go back to Pokhara to my parent's house" she replied.
Syam and Maya, peeping through their door stood perplexed and helpless not knowing what their parents meant? Very soon Mrs. Baral was ready to go to Pokhara. The friend of Ramkrishna suggested Maya to stay with her father and Syam was to stay with mother. The following day the destination to Nepal by bus. Sitting on the seat opposite the window, facing the narrow seats, Syam asked his mother,
"Why didn't you bring Maya with us, she can't live without me, you know quite well"
"The friends of your father have snatched away your sister from you" she said whipping her tears with her purple sari.
"That means we shall never be able to see her mother?" he enquired.
"When you become big, you go to Lamidada and fetch her" she said.
Back in Pokhara Syam was put in an 'Amar sing high school' but he couldn't forget his little sister's face that he misses every day.
"I am going to be a business man, earn so much money, buy a beautiful house for her and fly to Lamidada to bring my sister back" He thought.
He wrote several letters to Maya but didn't get any reply from his sister nor from his father.
Meanwhile in Lamidada, politic had married Mr. Baral and had come to live with darkness of politic. Maya could not accept that her father didn't have time for his daughter who was slowly being infected with the poison of hatred and desolation. Looking at the guitar, that Syam played, she asked her Governess of her school, "Is Syam never going to come to me? Where have they gone?"
The Governess in order to make her forget her past, said,
"They are dead for you and gone away in a very far and remote land where you can't reach. They will never come to you anymore"
She started to cry dimly and feeling more and more insecure. She believed in the governess of her school and had been thinking so for years that passed by. Time passed by. Syam was twenty-two years old but he couldn't study more because he did start his own small business after class of nine. He was tall handsome and gracious. His side parting hairstyle matched his elegant looks. Sitting in the cockpit room of bus station to go Dhamphu, he said to his newly met friends.
"My purpose of being here is to search and meet my sister Maya who is left house in Lamidada and is somewhere here in Dhamphu. I was in Nepal since ten years; it's a first time I'm coming here after ten years!! My father told me that his friend has spotted her there in Dhamphu with Mamata Aunty and studying in Dhamphu University. I don't know whether I could ever find her or be able to recognize herein past ten years my father has written just three letters to me, so sad of me!" He was looking at bus driver.
"We have exactly three hours before we get clearance to there. Till then I will give you an Arial view of Dhamphu, it seems it's so beautiful," said bus driver. "My pleasure" said Syam in his handsome smile.
"This is a famous Pashupatti temple. Tourist from different countries visits this temple to offer prayers and watch its exuberance. That is the famous place of eternal happiness and self-realization. This is the famous university of Bhutan, the one you are looking for" he said almost behaving like a guide. The next day clock stuck ten fifteen AM. Syam was dressed up in his grey suite. He rushed to 'Anand tea shop' in the market, in front of the Dhamphu University. The congested market was filled with gaudy lights and sonorous disco music. Syam couldn't follow the appreciation to this kind of music zestfully displayed by the young generation, shaking their bodies in all possible directions to attain something they call 'Fun' he wondered, as towering spotlights splashed on him sometimes making his face appear red and sometimes yellow. Leaning himself on the tea bench and getting him adjusted to the clamorous room, his wandering eyes was exploring just one girl and that was his very own Maya. He was thrilled to locate her lost sister who once upon a time uses to cry every second and ask him to sing a song before going to sleep. He didn't forget to carry a pink Rose flower with one leaf, something that she admired by all her heart.
Dhamphu, a beautiful valley just in front of these top Himalayas, little pollution, surely I can find my sister easily. But how, even I don't know the address of Aunty Mamata... He was murmuring himself.
"Can I ever see her? The information I got from my father, is it correct? How do I recognize her? Why did she run away from her house in Lamidada? And what's she doing here among groups of friends in the market?" These mysterious questions swiped his pensive mind, when his sight focussed upon, back of a pretty girl, well! Dancing her way to glory in the road, her long and silky hairs dangling to and for over her silky back, concealed by zipper fixed to a gorgeous dress that she wore with print of colourful flowers all around them.
"She must be my sister Maya" he thought.
"Excuse me" he said to the shopkeeper.
"That striking girl with so black hairs, shaking her among these friends, who is she?"
"Her name's Muna, crowning glory of our market sides with thousands of prying eyes upon her" he replied.
"Can't be. She must be Maya, my internal instincts tell me, or else why I am drawn towards her time and again, looking at her childish sister's picture, how it can be possible within ten years that much can change" he thought.
Mean while a lanky man approached Syam who was standing next to him said.
"Hello! Who are you looking for in this university, I hope you're not so shy as much as I do, my name is Bhim, I'm living in Surey"
"Oh nice to meet you. Since how long do know her" asked Syam.
"How long you have been here? We don't know each other but I like her so much since quite a long time" he replied.
She was coming near Syam but trued to the shopkeeper to ask the prise of pink rose. Syam stayed like a statue and thought.
"It must be her, same face, and those glasses, and familiar voice" he thought.
Excuse me, I was offering you all a drink cup of tea if you aren't angry" said Syam looking deep in to her eyes.
"Angry! In Muna's world there is no place for anger, its love and love all the way. I accept your offer" she replied with sense of gratitude.
"Hey! Sarmilla, Renuka, Radha this gentleman is offering us a drink of tea so enjoy yourself" she said as the room was dominated with a sweet applause.
"Won't you ask me my name" he said to Muna.
"Oh! That was really rude of me, what's your name Mr. Handsome" she asked.
"You can call me Syam" he said anticipating a reaction from her.
"Shaa-you said" she paused and said "Ok"
"Does that remind you of something Muna" he asked her.
"What should it remind me of?" She replied.
"Why is she pretending? Why has she changed her name to Muna From Maya? And who are these funny looking groups who squire by her?" He wandered.
"This pink rose is for you" said Syam again anticipating a reaction from her.
"Oh! Wonderful, no one has given me a pink rose like this in so many years" she replied.
"Since when have you changed your name to Muna?" he asked looking straight in to her eyes.
"This man seems to know a lot about me. I better get rid of him," she thought.
"You must be kidding. I must go now. Thanks for the tea" she said turning her face abruptly. She left the tea shop imposing puzzling questions in his mind.

The next day there was a celebration in Pashupatti temple. It was a special occasion of Pooja. The Women folks offered prayers to Gods and Goddess and put a tika (pinch of colourful powder on the forehead with a thumb). Syam stood there right near the scaffold with a bowl of colourful powder in her hands and applying tika to her friends as a mark of friendship and devotion. Syam stood in the temple along with her other friends. Of her friends as her eyes met his, she said,
"Oh you again. Are you following me or we are just meeting" she said.
"Why did you stop applying tika on my forehead? Believe me! It's been years since anyone has put a tika on my forehead. Many years ago my sister used to put." He said with his eyes seem to beg her to accept that 'she and only she' was his sister he was looking for.
"You seem to love your sister very much. I will put a big tika for you and I sincerely hope that you may meet your lost sister soon" She said smiling at him.
"Why did you leave your house in Lamidada?" He asked.
"Oh! Go away you bug me" she said looking distressed.
"Would you say the same thing to your brother Syam" he said getting little tensed.
"My brother is dead. My father is just a piece of 'male kindles selfish, child careless ' to me. I hope he brought me in this earth by giving me birth; he has done a big favour on me, what a selfish world. Being a child, I didn't have a right to get so much love from my own father? But he loved his own political life. He had never been there for me, only bundle of money with one letter in front of my eyes, written 'I love you my daughter...' is that love??? I do understand now why my mother and brother left him away but I suffered in this mess. I couldn't live alone there, probably feeling home sick, loving sick then I stole five thousands Ngultrum from his pockets and set myself free to come here to live with Mamata Aunty, besides she doesn't like my father too. My life had been hell but not anymore." She said exposing a big complaint.
"Do you hate your brother too?" he asked.
"How can I? He was the sweetest among the entire person in this earth. God! He is no more with me..." She said sadly.
"Your brother is very much alive and it's me, right in front of you. Please believe me Maya." He said.
"Don't call me by that name. You are a liar," she said whipping her tears as she followed her group of friends who were nothing but vagabonds. She was in the courses of BA already how ever fighting with the life living in the difficult condition with her Aunt Mamata in Dhamphu. Syam felt helpless. The very belief that she lost her brother long ago was flowing with every blood cell of hers and she couldn't believe that her brother could be actually alive. He wanted to stop her moving around with friends, and desist her from taking a distance, but he couldn't.
But Syam didn't give up. He was determined to make her sister realize and accept that he was her one and only one brother. But how?
Muna and Syam met face to face most of the time, sometimes out of chance and sometimes on purpose. Muna was marketing in the market of Dhamphu, make up her mind to select a necklace among the exclusive pieces that fascinated her. All of them were good and elegant in their own way. He was looking a good time to catch to talk with her.
"These maroon stones will glamorize and so nice like set of beautiful flowers bonded together by threads of passions and magnificence" Said Syam who was stood adjacent to her, making her problems easier.
"You again! Thanks for your intelligent suggestion but you won't get what you are looking for" She said.
"Well! I can make you admit that you are Maya and not Muna" He said confidently.
"Is that so! Then try to improve me," She said.
"Okay answers me in Yes or No," He said looking at her.
"Is Nepal exquisite for you?" He asked.
"Yes" She replied.
"Do you like pink rose flower among all the flowers?" He asked.
"Yes" She replied.
"Today is 2nd June?" He asked.
"Yes" she replied.
"Today is your birthday!!" He was talking high.
"I hate my birthday" She replied.
"You hate milk too" He asked.
"Yes" She replied.
"You hate wearing glasses?" He asked.
"Yes" She replied.
"Then you must be Maya and not Muna" He asked.
"Yes--- Oh! NO NO NO" She replied.
"Well! You admitted just now that you are Maya my sister" He said.
"Huh? Nice trick, but won't work on me" she said as she left him to join her other friends passing by.
"I don't know if ever I will be able to tell her that I'm her own brother..." He thought.
Maya or Muna I should say loved to move on running early morning before the sun peeped in, through the clinging mountains. There was a long stretch of road relatively lonely, surrounded with extraordinary landscape on which Maya would merrily exercise to glory. She would exercise for a long time, drenching herself in extreme fatigue. This made her extinguish her flaming past.
But that day, she wasn't quite lucky. Her running boot dislodged from the main frame, she toppled and fell over a huge snow. As she tried to get up with piercing pain extending her waist she found a helping hand to assist her. It was Syam.
"Oh! You are following me aren't you? Thank you anyway" She said taking his support with a brisk expression of pain in her face.
"I wish I did, I was just moving around here for a pleasant morning walk, Whenever you will fall, Syam will always there to pick you up" he said with a gentle smile on his face.
"You love me very much don't you?" she asked.
"As a matter of fact yes! Without any bonds" he replied, getting immense pleasure talking to her sister.
"You really think I am pretty, even with these glasses I wear" she asked.
"Certainly you do" he said as he removed her glasses and slipped in to his face.
"Do I look bad" he asked with a big smile on his face.
"Oh! You remind me of my past, my brother.... As a child when I use to cry for not wearing my glasses, my brother used to do something that you did just now" She said, standing very close to him.
"Do you know what Yesh uncle and Anu aunty said to the pink rose?" He asked, anticipating a brisk reaction at her end.
"Yes! They said that, Maya is the most prettiest flower around and when she smiles she looks like a Makhamali flower," she said with burst of excitement. "You are my very own Syam!!!! I have been so rude to you..." she said hiding her face in the gentle cocoon of her perspiring palms.
"Let's go home Maya. There are new rays of hope and happiness waiting for you" said Syam.
"I can't. I am ashamed of myself. I have done many bad things in my life, I left home, I even didn't try to write letter of talk with father and I don't want to pollute your mind with my presence" She said sadly.
"A sister can never pollute her brother. She is like a vast ocean of love, the more you fall in it the more you sink and you never like to come out of this ocean. Let's forget every thing my sister. Our father and mother are deeply regretting and waiting for us to start the new morning all over again! Let's go back" he said extending his hand. She held his hands as tightly as she could crush her insecurity for ever and perceiving new sense of acceptance creeping all over her mind and body. As a matter of fact she looked more beautiful than ever. Meanwhile the sunrays flashed upon the valleys of Himalayas, making everything appear bright golden.
"Nepal is beautiful, isn't it Syam?" she asked looking at her lost brother.
"Well! Not as much as you are my sister" he said looking at his 'Found sister'.

The dirty politics made the souls far and break the relationship which might be an example of splendid relationship in Bhutan but The beautiful souls of human beings are breaking there continues as the example of this relationship of brother and sister. Inside them there's a real happy world but when they looked out side of them then suddenly enormous black clouds enter every corner of southern part. They're so lucky that they met after but it doesn't happen to others so often. Remembering the beautiful past childhood during a lifetime and with out able to see their own families and friends, it's just dark night of this human world. Some good people take it as a very difficult day of their life and some dictator takes it as a most beautiful sunshine of the future occupation over the human right...

-Written by Simon Rimal