Back to Kathmandu

It's 11:30 pm. I just landed in Pokhara International Airport. It’s been already 10 years since I left Nepal. Don’t ask me reasons. I wouldn’t bother to say.

Last time, I left Nepal in a plane, from the Kathmandu International Airport. It was the only international one in Nepal. Returning back on an international flight to a different international airport is fascinating in itself.

10 years and I still remember the day I was leaving Kathmandu. The crowded ‘fish-market’-port, the mismanaged departments, the stinking toilets. When I look back, I wish the last day in Nepal had been a little beautiful – not full of bad memories. I remember the sh*t-port more than the faces of my family.

The case is totally different now. Down from the plane and I don’t see that crowd anymore. Beautifully designed and well thought boards clearly point me to the right direction. A person at every door directed me, though I was uncomfortable to ask. I have been told of sad stories of Kathmandu Airport where people got their bags in deteriorated condition. Some even lost them. It isn’t the case anymore. I don’t have to even go to the belt to receive my bags. I just have to rest on a fancy sofa after a long flight. The bags have a token. People at the baggage counter read the token number on a speaker, I just have to raise my hand, and someone brings them over in a trolley. I have two options; to take the baggage myself or they will even hire a taxi for me. You don’t have to do the hassle anymore. The airport has its own line of taxis. The rates are fixed. The taxis are clean, the drivers are professional. However, I was going to Kathmandu on the next local flight. So, I just asked the helper to load my luggage to the next station. Yes, it was that easy.

Getting my ticket to Kathmandu was easier too. I had booked it online before coming here. I now just have to show the QR Code and that’s it.

1:00 AM. The flight is on time. I wouldn’t have minded an hour delay at least, considering it to be a Nepali time. But, it was on time. I misjudged.

The same well-managed process and I am in Kathmandu. This time, I took the Kathmandu Airport Taxi Service and it dropped me home in no time. The ride was like I never had before. It was supposed to be dark outside. But it wasn’t. The solar lights along the roads made the dark go away. I could see large hedges along the way. The roads were wide enough. Even in the dark, I could see a separate lane for the cycles, a separate lane for the public buses and emergency lane for ambulances. The private vehicles had to go in a different way, thus keeping the traffic controlled for people in a hurry.

As I passed the Pashupati, I was shocked to see what I saw. Pashupati never looked this beautiful. With the well architected lights around, it looked even more beautiful without losing its cultural charm. I could see stars shining, the reflection of the moon just beside the Pashupati. I thought it was some kind of new swimming pool. May be some rich investor made a swimming pool even beside the heritage. I was surprised and angry. I asked the driver to stop the care and went out to take a look. What I saw was amazing! It was a pool, made with the continuous flowing Bagmati for the Pashupati visitors and devotees.

………… (to be continued)

This is just a fictional story from a time travel to Nepal’s future. I wanted to see how Nepal would have been 10 years later if I was given a Time Machine.