"I used to sell big fish. But now I sell small ones. Big fishes cost big money and I am a simple investor with only some money. With small fishes the return is fast. I come here at the border and meet the merchant who brings the fish from across the river in India. I then take it to the market in Janakpur to sell.
Today, the merchant is late. I hope he comes, otherwise, I will have to return empty-handed. Before I started fish-mongering, I had poultry but I had to bear a heavy loss. So my heart left the desire to continue the occupation. I tried several other things but there is no consistency here, no guarantee that you will reap the benefits of your labor, no safety if something bad is to happen. I also went to Saudi where I spent 32 months as a cleaner in a hospital. The pay was good and employment was secure.
Once I was able to save some money, I returned home but lost my money in my unsuccessful ventures. But the tragedy of my life is not losing money. It is losing my son. He was born with a breathing defect but had recovered. But after a few months, he started having the same problem so we took him to the zonal hospital. The nurse at the zonal hospital did not even know how to insert a cannula in my son’s vein. She tried twice but she just could not. I was asked that I carry my son to the pharmacy outside the hospital gate and have it done. By the time, I took him to the pharmacy, he had already stopped breathing. I and my wife also stopped breathing in grief. But I have two other children to look after so after cremating my son, I got back to work. I am worried about how long the selling of fish will last. Maybe the merchant will find a better customer to sell or maybe he will move on to doing something else and one day I might not have any fish. That will be another tragedy again. Then, I will have to leave my family one more time to find work. Qatar, Dubai, Arab, I don’t know where it will be."
Dinesh Mukhiya, Mukhiyapatti Musarniya 4,Dhanusa
#TheFutureIWant
SON X UN