Online Media assignments

1.      How does online redefine the notion of Mass communication? Discuss with suitable examples.

Mass Communication is a broader term that encompasses the process of exchanging information in between sender/s and the multiple audiences. Today, the communication facilitated by traditional media (Radio, Television, Newspapers and Film) is being less effective and less efficient due to the shift of audience attention towards online media. The traditional media assists the mass communication which seems to be more like a linear communication when we take into account the degree of interactivity between the communicators. However, the advancement in the internet technology has given rise to online media often known as new media. With several features of online media the notion of communication has been redefined these days. Some of the important notions brought by online media regarding mass communication can be discussed as follows:

'One to many’ versus 'many to many'

Traditionally mass communication was like 'one to many' function where the media organization or sender used to send message but there was no efficient channel for retrieving feedback. Such feedback then couldn't be the part of what was being communicated further. In this process, there is a sender sending a common message to the undefined audience on the other side. However, online media considers that these are many senders and many receivers at once. For instance, group chat on Facebook or Skype. In this process there is a possibility at many senders can send message at a time and also receive many message at once.

User control communication and greater interactivity

Unlike in traditional notion of mass communication, online has invited newer facilities for the audience. It is now possible for the audience to have control over information. For example, in a website with use of convergence, a user can watch a related video by clicking to the hyperlinked content. OR else the user may just go through other contents which he wants. This has increased the interactivity because it demands for the active participation of users highlighting the notion that a reader rules over the content.

Competition, Convergence and Symbiosis

The online media can incorporate the multimedia content in a web page. This can bring all the contents of radio, television, print and film into one interface of an online page. The same content can be viewed, read and listened. Likewise, online media has increased the scope for media symbiosis by creating platform for the exchange of information between different media. This has made the communication business more competitive. This is why the online sites have to make their appearance and service more effective and efficient.

Promotion of Freedom of expression with limited gatekeeping

Online media has a feature that it has less control over information flow. Unlimited space and access of everyone as an author has made it possible the content appear without being much gate-kept. This has promoted the freedom of expression. For example; it is possible for anyone to hide their identity and anonymously share their views or information which they couldn't do it using the traditional media.

Fastest medium widens scope for more credibility and accountability

These days it is possible to disseminate information upon demand within very less time. For instance, if a user from a distant place tries to explore more about an event being happened in Nepal then he may comment on the news of a news portal. And the authors may call for gathering information to the reporter who is still in their field. Then the reporter using his/her phone can upload the demanded information. This has increased the scope for credibility because there is less change for gatekeeping. Since everyone has access to channel for providing information, one can't have total control over anything. Also another important aspect of online media is that quick correction is possible in case of any mistakes. This can increase the degree of accountability.

Thus, in the face of mass communication as perceived traditionally, the online media has brought many advantages. Among many of them the special feature like speed, interactivity, etc have changed the notion of mass communication that distinctly remain apart from that of traditional notion of communication.

2.      Discuss citizen journalism. Also discuss how the online media have been vital in the development of citizen journalism

Citizen journalism redefines the notion of journalism. Journalism as a profession was conventionally taken as the job of those experienced, professionals and experts, who could collect, edit and disseminate the information by maintaining the traditionally established standards. However, with the increasing access of the public towards the tools of mass communication, it has become possible that everyone can perform the role of a journalist by sharing of information whatever they have of the public interest. For instance, blogging can be taken as an example of citizen journalism.

The concept of citizen journalism is based upon the common individuals taking an active participation in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating information. This concept was derived from the integration of words like "public", "participatory", "democratic" and "street" journalism.

Citizen journalism is even practiced in the places where there is no access to internet or the time when internet technology was not so much developed. Telephone, letters and other means of personal communication could be used to report about certain events by the ordinary people. But with the advent of internet technology, the online media have increased public participation in the process of news manufacture making it possible for the individuals to share news and information to wider community within no time.

It is the internet that provided the common people to transmit information globally. That was a power once reserved for only the very largest media corporations and news agencies. This promotes the concept that news is everywhere, everyone can explore and find out and hence share the truth and everyone has the right to seek, receive and impart information which the rise of online media has made it possible. For, example a user kept the video of Seti Flood in the facebook and informed the public of Pokhara to be aware about it before the arrival of flood to the city. It wouldn't be possible to share information this quickly unless there wasn't any media to facilitate citizen journalism.

Today, online media has been a vital medium for the growth of citizen journalism. Internet has allowed the citizens to share the information of any kind like text, pictures, audio and video. And this is the difference that online has brought to the concept of citizen journalism. Online facilitates citizens to have their crucial role as news gatherer, analyst, editor and audience. This has made it easier to share the realities in the original forms. There are many kinds of platform for the citizens to share their information. Such as, the emergence of the Internet - with blogs, podcasts, streaming video and other Web-related innovations - is what has made citizen journalism possible.

3.      Discuss functions and dysfunctions of web 2.0 and social media with suitable examples.         

Web 2.0 is a concept which can be understood as the version of World Wide Web that works as a platform for the sharing of information in a more interactive way. This type of web network allows the users to collaborate and interact with each other. Unlike the previous versions of web technologies, web 2.0 is more about how the use of the internet is changing. These days "the Internet has become more of a platform for existing technologies, many of them collaborative, and a perpetual beta site for new technologies."

Experts often argue whether Web 2.0 is something new, or merely an extension of existing technologies. The bottom line is the magnitude of the impact of the current generation of services. Web-based communities and hosted services such as social networking sites, wikis, and blogs, aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing among users; but the very openness of these sites makes them vulnerable to new, multi-layered malware attacks. In this scenario, web 2.0 and social media as its compartment are posing different functions as well as dysfunctions

Functions of Web 2.0 and social media:

·         Provide the platform for socail bookmarks

·         Comment and reputation: The success of social media applications, such as news groups, blogs, online forums, question-answering systems, and social news services, depends highly on the quality and attractiveness of the contributions from regular users. Usually, good contributions are produced by a relatively small set of “reputable” users and consumed by a large user population.

·         Crowdsourcing content: the websites like answers.com and wikipedia.org are base on crowdsourced content. Since eveyone can openly contribute for the sites to generate content more information can be archived and explored due to this function of the web 2.0

·         Blogging: Somehow similar to maintaining personal websites in the previous web 1, blogging is possible due to web 2.0. Blogging lets anyone own space through the means of cloud computing. This has made it possible for the individual to share information, create platforms for conversations and represent certain communities.

·         Documentation: Storage and archival of multimedia contents or information of all kinds sush as text, image, video and audio is possible on the unlimited space in the internet. This makes the archival system more effiecient and effective due to ease in search options and arrangement of similar or related items in a proper order.

·         Audio-video livecasting: Web 2.0 has made it possible for the transfer of audio-video content live through the chat tools like facebook, skype, yahoo etc. This has made the web possible to bring communicators closer to the real life situation.

·         Social Networking: People of anywhere in the world can involve in the network of a virtual social sphere or communities. Facebook, twitter, linkedin etc are some examples of socail networking sites. Through these sites people can maintain new relations and remain as equal golbal citizens.

·         Business facilitation: The advancement in the internet technology has created newer opportunities to business activities. The scope for business is now unlimited and can reach anywhere at anytime due to the development of interactive sites.

·         Function of wikies and RSS feeds: Wikies allow the users to add, edit or remove content in a website. RSS feeds generate contents for the web by adopting the syndicated contents from other websites such as: news feeds used in a blog.

Dysfunction of web 2.0 and social media

Dependence, a barrier to creativity: With a lot of information available online, use of web 2.0 and social media can make people depenent upon what is already there. People spend their more time surfing internet rather than finding something from the nature and the outer world.

Reduce social cultural spaces: The social networking sites make people unaware about their physical, social and cultural relationship.

Virus, piracy and frauds: With the rise in social media virus threats have increased. The possibility of using pirated software is a problem. The torrent is an example of such act. Likewise there are a lot of frauds happening due to misuse of the facilities provided by web 2.0.

Misrepresentation or fake identity: Hiding identity can be a serious threat when it comes to fraud activities and misrepresentation. For example: users with fake idenity can defame others. Slander and libel are some example of the dysfunction of social media. Pornography is yet another dysfunction of social media and web 2.0. This is considered to lead the society towards disorder and misuse of the internet media.

4.      Write Short notes: Zukerberg

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is the chairman and one of four co-founders of Facebook, a very popular social networking site. Zuckerberg who always opposed the idea of having media corporations owned by the conglomerates, with a thought of creating an open information flow for the people, launched Facebook in the 2004.

Zuckerberg was born in 1984 in New York. He graduated from the Harvard and made his career as a software developer. In the 1990s he learnt programming from his father. He enjoyed developing computer programs, especially communication tools and games. 

Stereotyping and Gender Representation in Alcohol Ad

Introduction
With the rise of media industry the business in advertising has also risen up. Today, ads are scattered everywhere and they are multiplying each day. Ads take up more than half the space in successful daily newspapers and consumer magazines. They are inserted into trade books and even textbooks. Internet has become another crucial space for them. Ads are seen in every nook and corner and thus people are being familiar to the message they intend to convey. Despite the intended message the stereotyping meanings carried by the ads create negative impacts upon society at the same time.

Discussion
Over the years, critics and consumers alike have complained about the stereotyping in mainstream advertising (Campbell, 2000). Likewise, stereotypical portrayal of women has generated considerable controversy. Ads offering women as a man's reward for drinking a particular beer, wearing cool jeans or smoking right cigarette have still stereotyped women. Although women today are often portrayed in a variety of social roles many sexist stereotypes still persist in advertising (Campbell, 2000).

Let us look at an ad of Signature a product of MC Dowell Nepal Limited. Though this ad is taken from Jan 15-Feb14 issue of 'The Boss' a business magazine published in 2007, it is widely seen in other media even these days. From business point of view the advertiser has successfully attracted many customers by this ad. However, there are still more perspectives which we can view through and thus consider it offensive when talked about gender difference and bias.

Description of the ad
This ad is published in 'The boss' an English monthly magazine that targets its audience to the sector of business. It covers a full page area and is published in four colors. This is an ad of a hard drink product and ultimately aims at attracting more customers towards it. The ad has following components that make the ad more effective in terms of attracting customers:
• Context and visual elements: The ad shows a context of enjoyment or possibly a hangout. It has attractive and romantic scenery of an ocean which helps establish a romantic mood for the characters.
• Image of the product: The Product is placed in the right side of the ad. It has a close up picture of bottle of Signature with a half-filled glass by its side.
• Characters: There are five characters of which three are male. Among them two male characters are sitting at the fence of the ship they are traveling by. Likewise, a male character portrayed centrally is being pulled by two female characters. Those two males are taking photographers for fun.
• Text: The ad also has some text or words. At the top-right side of the ad the words 'Success is very demanding' is written with bold white colored fonts in the dark green background. Likewise, just below the logo of the advertiser 'Success is good fun' is written with golden color which suggests the advertiser's name.
• Logo or brand: At the right middle part of the ad signature's logo is placed with shining golden letters in it. The ad also tries to attract audience by its brand name too.
• Plot or activity: The characters involved in this ad are in a trip to somewhere away from their workplace or hometown. They are traveling by a ship. Their goal seems to be a successful person. And since success lies in fun, signature can help them attain it. This is all about the message conveyed by the plot.

Interpretation
Though the ad looks attractive at a glance, it has stereotypical messages contained in it. The words 'Success is very demanding' is associated 'Success is good fun'. Then, the fun is associated with the beautiful girls shown in the ad which the drink can bring them together. The female characters are presented as sex symbols. Generally stating, the majority of beer drinkers are men. By including attractive women in such advertisements, the underlying message is that if men drink a certain type of beer they will be able to attract a certain type of female.

Sex appeal: We often see ads that feature superficially beautiful or "desirable" models, so it comes as no surprise that sexual imagery is used to sell products. But depicting people this way can also contribute to socially offensive practices. The dress up of the girls with half-down naked shown in the ad suggests that they are sexually attractive. How effective would the ad be if boys shown in the ad were half naked instead of girls? And would the ad draw equal attention if there were no girls? It seems that girls are only as important as the drinks shown in ad for both of them are the means to create fun for the boys.

Gender stereotypes: Two girls are getting it difficult to pull a boy with their entire effort. This depicts that girls are inferior in terms of physical strength. Despite the joint effort of both of the girls, here the man is in the control. "Usually the men are very masculine. They have big muscles or they're very successful. Being shown as sensitive doesn't compromise the masculinity, and that's interesting that the only way you can show a sensitive man is if he's already successful in other ways of being a man" (media-awareness.ca, 2010). The words like success in good fun suggest the stereotypical views that the ultimate goal of any man is to have beautiful girls around him and enjoy with them with all expensive drinks and luxuries. Meanwhile the ad portrays the girls' success lies in satisfying men. In this sense it seems that its not just product that is being advertised, gender difference is often shown in other points of advertising.

Democracy and Cultural in stereotyping: Democracy has provided enough freedom to people for the own way of life. The picture shows maximum freedom in characters that they are free to enjoy the way they like. Though girls are shown enjoying outside they are again in control of men. Their role has changed from households to outside but again have the same job to satisfy men at any cost. Being dressed up as per the men's choice and devoting totally for their enjoyment, their role is still inferior. Likewise, culture plays a vital role in advertising. Since this ad is targeted to high class Nepali people it focuses on luxuries which are new to Nepali Culture. Another way overlapping with Nepali stereotype is that only hard drinks and girls are the source of good fun. Accordingly, the ad says that both girls and drink are demanding fun which are required to achieve success.

Conclusion
Based on above discussion, it is evident that expensive hard drinks or luxury products are directly associated with female body as a source of fun for men in advertisement. This has always contributed in underestimating female. Their representation in the ad is just for catching attention of men towards the product. On the other hand the more closely female are associated with the product the more successful the ads prove to be. In other words these ads like of alcohol present female as the luxury products for men's consumption. Likewise, the cultural dominance is seen like in case of what product a high class people consume and what the poor doesn't. And of course, alcohol should not always be associated with sex as that of the ad suggest.


References
1. Media Awareness Network (2010) Learning Gender Stereotypes Retrieved from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/lessons/secondary/ gender_portrayal/upload/Learning-Gender-Stereotypes-Lesson-Kit.pd

2. Campbell, Richard. Media and Culture. 2nd ed. 2000. 362-364

3. Photo taken from: The boss. 2007. Jan 15-Feb 14. Page 21.

खिचडी

यो खिचडी कापीमा आज सूर्यका तेर्सा किरणहरुले सुनौलो रङ्ग भर्न मन लाग्यो । साँझ ५ जति बजेको छ । खेतका कान्लाबाट तल झरिरहेको पानीको खत्लकखत्लक धुनसँगै आकाशमा उडिरहेको जहाजको गुइँय आवाज मिसिँदा पर बाँझो जमिन कोट्याइरहेको ट्याक्टरको घटघटाहट धिमा भएकोझैं लाग्छ ।

म पश्चिमपट्टि फर्केर हरियो घाँसमा पलेंटी कसेर बसेको छु - आफूले चार बर्ष बिताएको काठमाडौं विश्वविद्यालयलाई करिब ४ किलोमिटर टाढाबाट नियाल्दै ।

विश्वविद्यालयको भवन र अस्ताउन लागेको पहेंलो सुनजस्तो सूर्यलाई धनेश्वरको डाँडोले बाँधजस्तै लम्पसार परेर मलाई गिज्याइरहेको छ । सायद मलाई त्यसले चुनौती दिइरहेको छ- "तैले ज्ञानको खोजीमा म जस्ता कयौं पर्खालहरु नाघ्नै बाँकी छ ।"

खेतको बाटो हिँड्न मलाई रमाइलो लाग्छ । विशेषतः म कलेजदेखि घरसम्मको यात्रामा कहिलेकाहीं यही बाटो आउनेजाने गर्छु । खासगरी ३ वटा अवस्थामा म यो  'सटकट रुट' को प्रयोग गर्छुः दिमागमा धेरै तनाव जमेको भए म प्रकृतिको अनुपम स्वरुप हेर्दै आफूलाई भुल्याउन खेतैखेत लाग्छु । मन अत्यन्तै रमाउँदा पनि म खेतैखेत अन्नबालीको बयेलीसँगै  हराउँछु । अनि कहिलेकाही बसलाई दिने ५ रुपैयाँ साथमा नहुँदा पनि मलाई यही बाटोले बोलाउँछ ।

खेतका गराहरु मलाई विशेष मनपर्छ । खोई किन हो आज मन साह्रै चन्चल भइरहेको थियो - मैले फेरि यही बाटो रोजें । खेतबारीबाट आउने आलो माटोको सुगन्धले मलाई वाल्यकालमा खेलेको झझल्को दिन्छ । चराचुरुङ्गीहरु चिरविरचिरविर गर्दै आफ्नो बासस्थानतर्फ लाग्दा म पर चउरमा खेलिरहेको बेला मलाई मेरी आमाले साँझको खाना खान बोलाउनुभएको याद आउँछ ।

मेरै नजिकबाट दुई बालक मलाई जिस्काउँदै भाग्छन् -'कस्तो खेतमा बसेर पनि होमवर्क गरेको !'

सूर्यले आफ्ना किरणहरु आकाशतर्फ मिल्काउँदा गोधुली साँझले चिसो सिरेटो बटुल्न थाल्छ । कताकता चिसो हावा मुटुसम्म पुगेजस्तो लाग्छ । मनका भावनाहरु जमेर दिमागसम्म पुग्न सक्दैनन् । म खेतका गराहरुमा लुकेको त्यो अथाह सौन्दर्यलाई अर्को दिन खोतल्ने अठोट गर्दै आफ्नो कदम अघि बढाउँछु ।
खिचडी कापीः मेरो नोटकापी जुन म सबै विषयको अध्ययनका लागि प्रयोग गर्छु।

Grandma

"Grandma tried speeding up her sluggish move.

Reached to the shore and threw her upon the corpse"

The fierce wind had been striking dry driftwoods against roof throughout the night. The ocean had a violent move. Grandma was awake but trying to get asleep. The whole night she had fears in her mind. It was almost 4:00 am by then.

Grandma! Grandma!! Prajesh came yelling on a shrilly callous voice, "your son... your son..." He couldn't continue though. His presence that way had full of worries. Grandma threw over the quilt and got up from her bed. She felt the inclemency of cold outside. Soon she pulled her walking stick and dragged herself to the courtyard.

Her shivering voice didn't reach out enough to be heard, "what happened to my child? Why don't you speak out? Huh! What's wrong with him?"

"There." Prajesh, without speaking out a word, pointed to the beach where the only the movement of few torch-lights could be seen at that dawn.

Grandma tried speeding up her sluggish move. Reached to the shore and threw her upon the corpse. "Oh god, why are you this harsh to me?" she lamented on her fate, "why do you take away all my hopes every time when I convince myself to live by them?"

Grandma fainted almost every ten minutes she woke up. She couldn't convince herself a life without her only son ever left. Neighbors sympathized for the mishap and managed the funeral procession. Prajesh, who was a childhood friend of the dead couldn't control the tears in his eyes.

***

Grandma is in bed. It's almost ten at night. She still sobs with all her tears left. This time she is facing to a framed photograph of her son on the wall. Since years back she had been waiting for him who had promised to bring all the worldly joys for her. She remembers the moment when she handed him her necklace and all her ornaments for mortgage so as to buy him the degree at a renowned university. She recalls the assurance he had made on the day he returned from the US, "No worries mom, I have come back to take you to that big city. And now we can live a heavenly life there." She wished at times that it could all be just a dream. Her son who had talked to her the day before is no more in this world. Now, she has no more hope, no more strength to fight for her life. She is all alone in the crowd. She no more wants that big city, no more a university degree for her son. Now her eyes capture no more light for her. She is almost a futile body on earth.

Long after the fatigued day she has come across, she consoles herself with a single hope yet - to meet her son in the heavenly city right ahead.

Kidney trade goes unchecked in Kavre

(This content was developed by Chandiraj Dahal, the author of this blog, as a part of an assignment for the course fulfillment of Online Media)

Kidney trade goes unchecked in Kavre

Chandiraj Dahal

Kavre, June 26


Despite widespread problem of kidney trade in Kavre district, both victims and the authorities concerned have failed to bring the culprits to book.

“We can present the criminals before court based on a law enforced in 2007. But it is very difficult to recognise racketeers when no complaint has been filed till date”, Deputy Superintendent of Police Surendra Mainali said.

However, Govinda Bahadur Thapa, ex-IGP who is also an advisor to the Human Trafficking and Transportation Control Committee, says evidences can be found if one follows what the villages say. “The local administration should start its operation to bring the racketeers into legal retribution based on general information even when no one files a case,” he said.
Victims say kidney racketeers are assisted by one’s own neighbour or even relatives and are engaged in such a wide network that their kingpins can hardly be reached. The victims’ stories also reveal that the number of people losing their kidneys is still on the go though most of such cases belong to the time when there was no appropriate law regarding trafficking of human body and organs.   

Several organisations, including Asia Foundation, Protection of People’s Rights (PPR) Nepal, Mahila Tamang Ghedung and LACC Nepal, had once come up with a list of victims who have already sold one of their kidneys and submitted it to the District Police Office.

According to Krishna Pyari Nakarmi, district coordinator of the PPR Nepal, these organisations have been conducting several programs to raise awareness among the vulnerable communities in the district. “We also provide legal advice to the victims”, she said. However, none of the victims have helped police administration by officially registering their complaints.

Along with Hokse, which is notoriously known as kidney bank in the district, other villages like Kharelthok, Koshidekha, Panchkhal, Mahadevsthan and Jaisithok have around one hundred people to tell their rueful account of why they had to sell their important body part. These stories have a common root in poverty and are seen nurtured with different causes, which aren’t really the only alternatives.

Racketeers promise to pay up to Rs 2 lakhs for a kidney and pocket up to Rs 10 lakhs per client. At times, the victims are even thrashed and sent back empty handed.
( To explore more about this issue listen to  a radio report, watch video or read more stories)


This content was developed by Chandiraj Dahal, the author of this blog, as a part of an assignment for the course fulfillment of Online Media. 

Capital hankers after underground passages

Amid a rush to build more sky bridges in the Capital, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City seems non-serious towards adding subways.

There are eight sky bridges in the city with six lying between Sahidgate and Jamal alone. On the contrary, the number of subways is far less than that, let alone matching up to public expectation. The KMC wants to go the whole hog for sound traffic management by strengthening the subway system. However, in reality the metropolitan city has almost remained dormant in building subways.

According to authorities, the only subway at Ratnapark has proved to be a better alternative to overhead bridges. When it comes to benefits, underground passages are one step ahead than sky bridges.

“They are more durable and disaster resilience. At the same time subways are friendly to different people like those with disability”, said Indra Suwal, an engineer at KMC. He said subways are friendlier to heavy loads too, while sky bridges can stand in the way of double-decker vehicles.

The Ratnapark subway was built some three decades ago. Before its construction, there were already two overhead bridges at Kantipath and the NAC gate. These overheads were, later, knocked down to expand roads, but the subway is still there.

“Despite huge investment, subways can be built in other parts of the city too”, said Ram Bahadur Thapa, chief of KMC’s physical and infrastructure division. “We will have some multipurpose subways in the major junctions if the private sector comes forward with investment.”

The underground passage at Ratnapark has not only served pedestrians crossing the road, but at the same time it has seen business activities flourishing inside. Mega subways can take the form of shopping centres. According to KMC records, the lone

subway generates revenue of more than Rs 600,000 each year. “I have been running my business here since five years and this has helped me sustain my life,” said Shyam Lama, a retailer.
(Origionally published in The Kathmandu Post of 27th May, 2012)

The Media Lab: constructed???

Actually this is a picture of an offline studio of Nepal Television. An irony to our Kathmandu University's plan to establish media lab.

अनायसै

अनायसै तिमीसँग झोंक्किएछु प्यारी
हिड्दै थिएँ दोबाटोमै रोक्किएछु प्यारी

मन पनी काँडासरी भैदिएछ क्यारे
थाहै नपाई त्यो मुटुमा रोप्पिएछ प्यारी

आखिर गल्ती भइहाल्यो त अब यस्तो हुन्न
बिन्ती गर्छु तिम्रो कसम नरिसाउनु प्यारी

भर हुन्न रे

भर हुन्न रे जवानीको बैंस छँदाखेरी
तिमीलाई भेटूँ भेटूँ लाग्न थाल्यो फेरि

बताउनै नसकिने स्वाद जवानीको
मुहार त्यो लजाएको बस्छु हेरीहेरी

नशासरी आँखाबाटै बोलिदिँदा तिम्ले
हत्तार लाग्थ्यो मलाई नै सर्न तिमीनेरी

छम्या

आज बसबाट झर्नैलाग्दा एउटी राम्री छम्या भित्र चढी । पाँच सेकेण्डजति लभ पर्यो । म चुपचाप ओर्लेर आफ्नो बाटो लागें । उसले निकै परसम्म मलाई झ्यालबाट हेरिरही । म वास्तै नगरी अर्को माइक्रो चढें । रुपले त निकै राम्री हो । तर, विहेभियर त के था ? तर पनि सोचें, ‘लेखेकै रैछ भने अर्कोपल्ट पनि भेट होला । अनि म भन्नेछु – डिड वि मिट समवेयर विफोर ? यदी ऊ कुनै केटासँग छैन भने ।

माइक्रोमा एउटा दाह्रीवाल केटा थियो । फत्फताइरहेको । मन नलागे पनि सुनिरहेझैं गरी उसको साथी बीचबीचमा ‘हो त नि’ थपिरहन्थ्यो । उसकै छेउमा रहेकाले मेरा कानमा ती वियोगी शब्दहरु जबरजस्ती छिरिरहे ।

‘तर आज टाउको दुखिरा‘छ । मन निकै गरुङ्गो छ । टुक्रिएको मुटुको दुखाई त उल्लेखै नरुम । साला! कसैको लागि म मेरो सबै परिचय किन बदलौं ? मेरा पनि आफन्त छन् । मेरा पनि आफ्नै मूल्य मान्यताहरु छन् । उसलाई माया गर्छु भन्दैमा केवल उसको लागि हलुँडो भएर पूरै जीवन बिताउन त सक्तिनँ नि । मेरो चलिरहेको पढाइ चटक्कै छोडी त्योसँग डिपेन्डण्ट भिजामा म किन लुसुक्क अष्ट्रेलिया जाऊँ ?’

उसका त्यति कुरा सुनिसक्दा मैले पनि आफूलाई मूख्य पात्र बनाई अनेकथरी सोच्न थालिसकेको थिएँ । हामी नयाँ जेनेरेसनको वैवाहिक जीवन कस्तो होला ? हिजोको भन्दा आजको अवस्था बदलिएको छ । हिजो बुढो जागिर खान जाँदा बुढी रोटी बेलेर गृहस्थी जीवन बिताउँथी । कमाएको केही पैसाले गला र कानभरी सुनका गहना झुण्डाइदिए पुग्ने । आज दुबैलाई आफ्नो करिअर प्यारो छ । दुवैका आ–आफ्नै सपनाहरु छन् । एउटालाई अमेरिका जानुपर्ला । अर्कोलाई वेलायत वा जापान । एउटाको ड्युटी राति पर्ला, अर्कोको दिउँसो । सम्झँदा पनि उदेकलाग्दो अवस्था । बरु आफ्नै फिल्डको पार्टनर रोजे लन्ठै साफ । तर, भनेजस्तो कहाँ हुन्छ र ? मनले रोजिसकेपछि भोलिको बारेमा कसले पो सोच्ला र ?

फेरि अघि बसमा भेटिएकी छम्यालाई सम्झें, ‘माँकसम ! त्यस्ति जल्दीबल्दी छम्या पाए त संसारै उज्यालो हुन्थ्यो होला ।’