On the way to Burtibang

                            On the Way

My father, cousin and I boarded on a bus from Raksay to Burtibang at 8 am. It was a night bus from kathmandu. Half of the seats were vacant so that we got the seat without any rush. It was my first time visit to Burtibang. On the way, we saw beautiful paddy fields, serpentine revers, breathtaking hills, and river basins. We could see the flags of the political parties furling on the rooftops of almost every houses. It was a rocky and difficult road, and bus occupied all  full size of the road. I had been to Khara bazar before, but further of it was a new place. After crossing Khara Bazar, we smelled Khala, Bhimgithe and other small villages before Burtibang. Most of the houses were made up of mud and stone with tin roofs. Only a few houses were made up of RCC with the shutters having small shops. They were selling Chinese mobiles, clothes and dolls. Many of them were taverns,  and they were selling homemade  liquor, jeri, and sukuties. 

Around 11 am, we reached Burtibang. Before we got off the bus, I craned my head and watched the site. I saw a large building. One of the passenger told me that it was a boarding school. The place called Tulsi Nagar. It's said that Comrade Tulsi Aryal bought all the land during Maoist revolution and later planned for the plots for the housing. He named Tulsi Nagar after his name. Mr Aryal was the candidate of Maoist for the constitution assembly from Baglung Area no. 3. He was in Janamorcha Nepal during the time of Revolution, but later he quit Janamorch and switched to the Maoist. So some people called him opportunist.

Bus stopped at Burtibang Baspark. It was not well managed but workable in a small town like Burtibang. We had to go to District Administration office. So, we climbed the stone steps for a minute and walked along the cobbled lane towards the office. The office was on the road a people were standing on the road. I looked at the counter. There were four officers squeezed by the crowd. If were there, I would be suffocated. I pushed a few men and reached to the counter. A young man with white shirt and black pant was writing on the cards. He was requesting people to stay out. But no one was listening him. I said, " excuse me". He didn't look at me. I inquired what I should do to make a citizenship card. Everyone who was standing there suggesting me. Next to him was another officer wearing blue check shirt. He had a puffy round face and short black hair. I heard some people calling him Tanka ji. He was speaking roughly to the people while distributing the cards. 

Even he openly asked to bring  five Apple cane juice to a man looked like humble while giving him the card. It's a kind of bribe. But his confidence showed that he was not doing any wrong. 

I pasted the 10 rupees ticket on the form and registered. But the officer asked a few questions to my father. Then we waited for the other process while making the citizen card.

It took nearly 5 hours to make the final copy of the card. If I didn't persuade the chief officers to sign our card breaking the queue, we had to stay Burtibang because we wouldn't get it till 5 pm. Then I thanked the officers and walked to the bus park. There was a bus about to leave. It was the night bus from Burtibang to Butwal. We got on the bus. No seats were vacant. I asked my father to stay at  front and we went back. First, we sat on the last seat. Soon, passengers with tickets came to the same seat. We stood. It was really a hell to stand at the passage. Most of the passengers had already drank and smelled like hell. All of them smell of liquor, buffalo, goat, chicken, fire smoke, children's litters, grass, cow dung, roots of the plants etc. My head began to ache. Jyoti was also standing with great difficulty. She sat several times on the seat but each time ticket holders made her stand.

Finally, I arrived Raksay around 7 pm.