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“Good morning Nani!” A high-pitched voice behind her door can always be heard during the early mornings of Spring. The morning wishes to feel like a reminder to her every day. This a reminder about how she can seize the day with optimum energy to accelerate productivity. 

A day where she is encouraged to quench her thirst for knowledge by plunging into the world of books and learning resources. Some days she is occupied with the wonders of the outside world and a few days she emerges to reflect her inner self. 

Her curiosity about life keeps her engaged throughout the day. Once she gets submerged into the depths of her understanding and thoughts, she imagines. An imagination that takes her to a topsy-turvy world. It unhinges her. 

On a calm Spring morning, she woke up to the sound of her father’s morning wish as usual. The sun was setting above the horizon and the Kathmandu valley was getting warmer and the sky clearer. A ray of golden light entered through the big windows into her study table. The table was full of her current readings from Carmine Gallo to Michael J Gelb. There were colorful sticky notes all over her wall which read about affirmations and mantras. 

Her vision board echoed the triumph of achievements she has envisioned for herself in the coming years. A graduation photo of her mother hung right below the flag of her dream country, Germany. As she stood in front of the mirror, a reflection of her teen self-appeared. A girl who is full of dreams and enthusiasm to conquer the world of possibilities. With a smile on her face, she does a big “hi 5”. 

After drinking a cup of water, she ties her hair up and sits down on her study table to write a to-study list for the day. A list that consists of several topics to read, learn, watch, and listen to. The sound of the cuckoo is a call for her to go upstairs on the terrace for some serene time alone. She catches a deep breath of the fresh air and the cool breeze flips her long hair. The hills on the southern side catch her attention and she feels calm and at ease. The hill isn’t as steep as a cliff but steep enough to run out of breath if a trekking trail is there. Many houses and buildings were visible from afar where the Kathmandu valley could be seen in its form.

Once she turns around to see the beautiful landscape of the valley, a glimpse of her childhood memories flashes in the blink of an eye. She saw a shy girl who was afraid of people. People’s faces. Faces that reminded her of an unforgettable incident that crippled her down to angst. Her heart suddenly feels cold and uneasy. She tries to divert her mind by recalling all the greatest lessons she has learned in her life so far. She reminds herself of her potential and worth. 

A reminder that keeps knocking her mind to make a comeback from all those setbacks. There she was already visualizing herself on the stage. The stage where she can share her story. The stage which fulfills her dreams in her mind is just a terrace at the moment. The limelight of the sun which she thinks is the spotlight for her makes her feel euphoric. And there she is. 

Talking to thousands of people. She can hear the audience clapping. The audience which are the houses and buildings at the moment. A moment that she rehearses in her mind to get the feeling of ultimate satisfaction. 

She stays longer than enough in the state of mind which frees her mind from those angst and fear of people. After attaining serendipity, she opens her heart to pour her feelings into the journal. The clarity in her vision of life she is building allows her to become more confident in the process. By writing, she gets to de-clutter her mind and understand herself. She writes: 

“There comes a point,

A point where you want to dream, 

Dream about every possibility,

Possibility of hope.”

In a brief moment, she pens a letter to her future self about how she has to keep going despite the obstacles and hurdles on her way. A letter that she seals with all her promises and dreams of achieving one day. Her style of articulating her thoughts and feelings made the letter sophisticated. There is a file of her letter collection which she has kept safely to open soon. Letters she wrote by collecting all her thoughts together to make sense of the “why” in her life. Long writings where she expressed her gratitude for life. A life that is full of quests and exploration.  

A notebook that was inside a pile of books caught her eye. It was sewed with a white thread on the side to keep the papers intact and brown tape to secure it neatly. She took the notebook in her hand and gently turned on the first page which wrote “1989, Kathmandu Valley” with a familiar-looking signature that caught her attention. The next page of the notebook would change her perception of many things in life. Once she started scanning the writings and the information in the notebook which was written with a type-writer handwriting almost to perfection, it amazed her. With a racing heart and curiosity in her mind, she started searching for more of the notebooks from other years.

There it was. A pile of several notebooks was organized based on the year. All the front pages read, “Curiosità”.

With a willingness to dive deeper into the world of thoughts, she spends an entire afternoon connecting the dots. The dots which is a point for her introspection consisting of her muse and contemplation. A cup of cold coffee keeps her up until evening as she plays Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” on the Bluetooth speaker. Through her big windows, she can see a bed of clouds covering the honey-dew sky. She gasps for a few seconds and looks outside the window to feel the cozy evening warmth while munching on freshly baked cookies from her cousin. 

“Beep beep…” 

The phone ring catches her attention. It was a call that informed her about a delivery package in a few minutes. The package was wrapped in Lokta paper which had no information about the sender. A unique stamp piqued her attention. With gentle care, she unwraps the package and finds six similar-looking notebooks which were written in the year 2000 in the same handwriting. She assumes it to become a chronological order of writings with the content of a cathartic release of the writer.

When she opened the first notebook written in 2000, it read “The first wealth is health.” Her prolonged inquisitiveness made her adrenaline rush. She turned into the second notebook of 2001 which had the title “The Art of Being Happy.” While turning the page of the 2002’s notebook, she found a family photo and the title wrote,” Family is the heart of home.” 

While being inundated by the people of the family photo, she noticed the date at the back of the photo which was taken in 1990 by Panavision Panaflex Gold II. This took her to another notebook’s title “No pressure, no diamond.” The sequence of the title’s content was a matter of conjecture. She took a breath of relief before taking a glimpse of the other two notebooks. 

“Knock knock.”

The door is swiftly opened by her notorious brother just to barge in. Her focus diverts into the realm of friendly banter with many giggles and shared eye gaze. With an astonished look, he glances at the notebooks and tells her that the cover pages look familiar. 

On the spur of the moment, he rushes toward the storeroom and picks up a rustic brown wooden box that has metal brackets in the corner. He hands over the box to her and the first thing that she notices is the carving which is similar to the stamp in all the notebooks. 

Once they unlock the box, a photo of an old man sitting on this reading table is captured along with the same notebooks. 

It was a moment of awestruck infinity.  

Animon Rapacha 

BBM VI Semester, United College, Lalitpur

The Nepali Congress is observing 48th National Unity and Reconciliation Day across the country today with various programs.

The NC has been observing this Day on Push 16 every year recalling the day when its founding leader BP Koirala with other leaders returned to Nepal leaving their life in exile about eight years from India.

NC Communication, Information and Publicity Department Chief Min Bahadur Bishwokarma said that the party is marking the National Unity and Reconciliation Day in Kathmandu this year by organizing a special program.

An event has been scheduled at Nepal Academy, Kamaladi at 1 pm this afternoon where top leaders of different political parties, who have contributed to democratic movement and members of the comprehensive peace accord, will attend.

Different leaders including with supreme leader Ganesh Man Singh, leader Shailaja Acharya, Khub Bahadur Khadka, Ram Babu Prasaib and Nilamber Panthi had returned home under leadership of the first elected Prime Minister Koirala on Push 16, 2033 BS from India after leaving their life of exile of around eight years with the policy of reconciliation.

Upon their return, Koirala, Ganesh Man Singh, and other leaders were arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport and imprisoned again at Sundarijal jail. 

The Sundarijal jail has now turned into a museum on September 9, 2004.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the government is ready to form a high-level probe commission to investigate the Balkumari incident.

Prime Minister Dahal directed Home Minister Naarayan Kaji Shrestha to come up with a proposal to form a high-level probe commission under the headship of a former judge.

According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Prime Minister Dahal instructed Home Minister Shrestha to bring the proposal in accordance with Section 3 (2) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act-1969.

A Cabinet meeting to be held on Monday will take a decision to form the commission after the Home Minister takes the proposal.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that the commission will start working from tomorrow itself.

Earlier this morning, the Nepali Congress had demanded the formation of a high-level probe commission to investigate the Balkumari incident.

Making public the decisions of the Central Committee meeting held for three days at the party office in Sanepa, party Publicity Department Chief Min Bishwokarma said that the party has demanded the formation of a high-level judicial probe committee.

Sujan Raut of Dailekh and Birendra Shah of Achham had died when the Korean Language test candidates clashed with police personnel at Balkumari in Lalitpur.

Raut and Shah, who was critically injured in the police firing, breathed their last during the course of treatment at the Kist and Patan Hospitals.

Police opened fire on protesters, who were not allowed to take part in the Korean language test for employment in South Korea, after they torched the vehicle of Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala.

The Nepali Congress has demanded the formation of a high-level judicial probe committee to investigate the Balkumari incident.

Making public the decisions of the Central Committee meeting held for three days at the party office in Sanepa, party Publicity Department Chief Min Bishwokarma said that the party has demanded the formation of a high-level judicial probe committee.

The Home Ministry has formed a three-member probe committee under the headship of DIG Lalmani Acharya of the Valley Police Office to investigate the Balkumari incident.

Deputy Chief District Officer of Lalitpur Amardeep Sunuwar and Deputy Investigation Director at the National Investigation Department Basu Sigdel are other members of the committee.

The Congress demanded formation of a high-level judicial probe committee, expressing dissatisfaction over the committee formed by the government.

The NC has decided that the guilty should be punished by forming the judicial probe committee.

Bishwokarna stressed on the need to create job opportunities in the country.

Police opened the fire at the direction of the Lalitpur Chief District Officer Rudra Prasad Pandit.

Sujan Raut of Dailekh and Birendra Shah of Achham, who were critically injured in the clash with police, breathed their last during the court of treatment at the Kist and Patan Hospitals.

Police opened fire on protesters, who were not allowed to take part in the Korean language test for employment in South Korea, after they torched the vehicle of Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 200 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 120, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 120, 700 per tola on Friday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 119, 900 per tola. It was traded at Rs 120, 100 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,455 per tola today.

Gandaki Province head Prithvi Man Gurung has said that religion and culture play an important role in maintaining national unity.

In a message of best wishes on the occasion of 'Tamu Lhosar', a festival observed by the Tamu (Gurung) community today, he said that such festivals help increase goodwill in Nepali society while inspiring everyone to protect their religion, culture, customs and traditions. It also helps strengthen national unity.

Stating that the Gurung community is celebrating the Tamu Lhosar festival today bidding goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new year with joy and fervor, Province Chief Gurung has expressed his belief that the festival would provide inspiration to all to build a civilized, cultured and progressive country by enhancing the sense of mutual trust and solidarity.

The festival is being celebrated with enthusiasm mostly in Gurung majority districts like Lamjung, Gorkha, Tanahun, Syangja, Kaski and Parbat.

The Gurung community is marking Tamu Lhosar today by bidding adieu to the year gone by.

In the Gurung language, ‘Lho’ means year or age and ‘Sar’ denotes change. Members of the Gurung community mark the festival by organizing feasts and cultural programs.

Tamu Lhosar is also associated with the rays of the sun, it is said.

The festival is marked on the 15th of the Nepali month of Poush as sun rays reach early in the geography of Gurung settlements including Lamjung, Gorkha, Tanahun, Syangja, Manang, Kaski and Parbat.

The festival is marked by the Tamang and Sherpa community in the Nepali month of Magh and Falgun, respectively.

The government has announced a public holiday on the occasion of Tamu Lhosar.

Members of the Gurung community will organize a special program at Tundikhel, Kathmandu, today. RSS

In the Lives of Puppets

TJ Klune

Fantasy 

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots—fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe. The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labeled ‘HAP,’ he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio—a past spent hunting humans. When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life, Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. The rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommissioning, or worse, reprogramming.

Check & Mate

Ali Hazelwood

Romance | Young Adult 

Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious ‘Kingkiller’ Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess. Nolan’s loss to an unknown rookie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist. As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place.

Hidden Potential

Adam Grant

Self Help | Psychology 

Hidden Potential offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations. Adam Grant weaves together groundbreaking evidence, surprising insights, and vivid storytelling that takes us from the classroom to the boardroom, the playground to the Olympics, and underground to outer space. He shows that progress depends less on how hard you work than how well you learn. Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop. Grant explores how to build character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.