“Samanupatik” and “Pratakshya” – two words for the day. Before I get to the story hidden behind those two amazing words, I so want to share my first voting experience. Even before that let me talk about my picture in my voting ID card, only if I could, I would lock it in a box and bury it or if I could burn the ID and again burn ashes of it… that is how much I loathe the hideous printed picture of myself (even photoshop and instagram would fail to win the make-my-face-seeable mission, I look that much hideous). Enough about myself I guess, well! I was not sure if I would go and caste my vote, I logged into facebook and the newsfeed was flooded with you know what – everyones’ magnified thumb with purplish blue mark (like a manicure horribly gone wrong) and their updated status – voting for the first time #nepalvotes… I voted what about you… feeling wonderful voting… blah blah vote… vote blah blah… Yes! I should not be saying more, you must know all about it.

My mother is wiser or lazy , I don’t know which? You guys decide for yourself. She said “kaha ailey dekhi janey vote halna, deuso tira janey ho, line basnu pardaina.” So, me, mom and my sister left home for voting at around 2 pm, everyone were walking in groups, talking about today. Mobiles and cameras were restricted in the voting centre so, we handed our gadgets to dad and went to the centre. Damn the rules, I could have got a picture of myself voting. I entered the gate and guess what? I felt like walking down the red carpet (ignore the fact there was no red carpet, well in fact no carpet at all) … every pair of eyes were examining us, as we were the only voters there… hehe(thank mom) we did not have to stay at line but were confused kata janey, if we were early atleast we could have followed others like sheep 😛 . Well, the guard said which line we were to go… Mom lai “ga” and dd ra malai “kha” line ma jau bhanyo. I searched where that stupid Kha was, but the stupid glue had come out and the letter was hidden with almost khasna lako paper written Kha. Then I took out my stupid hideous ID card and showed it to the volunteerS (big S as there were many men checking on the same thing two times thrice.) Well, you all know how this all goes, sab jana vote halera nai ako hola.

Then one of the volunteer says “dd bahini ako raicha ta… mukh ustai raicha dubai jana ko”. (Thank you Mr.Idontknowyou who thinks we look alike which we don’t. I guess the volunteers were bit bored resting their bottom at the same bench since whole day at same spot. They were making small conversation. It was not their fault to get me wrong as the elder one because I look giant than my sister. I was so freaking nervous already and they talking was not helping me. I took the big blue paper and went through all the signs, and then I was like “I was to vote samanupatik ma and pratakshya, which one is this?” the feeling was just like exam bela ko, having two confusing sure answers for same question. Then I hit the stamp in one sign (I am not telling which :P) … then it was Niki’s turn to, she shouts from the booth – “ oi yo kun chainey ho?” I had no freaking idea to answer. It was like blind leading a blind. Then I took the pink paper with so many signs, this time I knew it was samanupatik wala turn but I forgot what it meant. So, I thought for a while and hit the stamp to the same sign.

After we came out of the voting centre, I asked mom and Niki what they did. And guess what, they turned out to be just as much stupid as I was. Atleast mom should have idea about the word “samanupatik” and “pratakshya” as this was not her first time voting but she was still confused. Bato bhari we kept on discussing the right definition for the words. I wonder how many of us really are aware about correct voting process and more importantly whom to vote as we hardly know our candidates. We know more celebreties of other countries than the people responsible for our country, I don’t blame others but myself for being ignorant about this. I felt bad that I was so careless for not doing simple research about the voting process. I felt like a Nepali citizen for the first time when I held that pen like stamp with swastika sign, I for a second felt that feeling of responsibility. I swear to myself I will be responsible about my rights from now on. That stamped vote was not as easy to drop like any other paper in the dustbin… it felt precious!