Far From Home

His eyes gleamed with joy, and he could not resist asking, "Is that wai wai?" People find the greatest joys in the smallest things that remind them of their home when living afar. The cook at our flat was overwhelmed at the sight of the instant noodles from his home country in our groceries. When we offered him a few packets, he got very excited, took and cooked them in authentic "chicken stew" style to savor with his wife and even brought some back for us to try.

Shankar, a 27-year-old Nepali man, lives in a single-room servant quarters of an apartment in Pune with his pregnant wife. He not only works as a guard but also cooks in the flats of the apartment. For the past six months, he has also been sweeping in place of his wife, who worked as a maid in those flats before conceiving.

Living over two thousand kilometers away from his home in a small village in Nepal, he questions his decision to leave for India every day. "Life in India is not as easy as we predicted while pursuing the journey for a better income and a more stable life here," he said while narrating his tale of eloping from Nepal. The lovers belonged to rival communities and knew they could only marry and live happily ever after, far away from Nepal in India. Hence, they resorted to taking help from his uncle, who works as a guard in Mumbai, to come to Pune and find a job.

Now, a month ahead of their baby's arrival, they are stressed about the small size of their living space and taking care of upcoming expenses with their meager salaries. If only they could be back in Nepal and have their child experience the "Nepali way of life" and the comfort of their home.