There’s always room for one more

The way the everyday Nepali accepts things as they are, makes for an almost stoic approach to life.

The old engine stutters to life as the beaten-down bus prepares for daily commute. Three middle-aged women, all wearing dark shades, rush to claim the first row of seats, oblivious to the fact that it is theirs by law. Although the rest of the bus is empty, the three of them choose to cram together in camaraderie, smiling even as their closeness brings on mild discomfort. The woman on the far-right struggles as she opens the tainted window, only to close it soon after succeeding. “Too much dust,” she says, even as the rise in mercury draws a trickle of sweat down her forehead.