Love & Venom

The sun was setting over the rooftops of Bhaktapur, casting a red glow over the city streets. The city was bustling with activity as people hurried to finish their shopping before heading home for the evening. Amidst the crowds, a young girl with long black hair was busy arranging packets of biscuits in her family's small provisional shop.

 

She was the youngest child in the family that included her parents, brother, sister, and grandmother. Barsha was her name. She was in her late teens and enrolled in '+2 Science' at a nearby college. Her family owned a store on Pradhan Path, the main street in the neighbourhood. Except for her brother, who was preoccupied with his business, Barsha's entire family assisted in the shop, and except her grandmother, who was old and not so well.

 

As Barsha busied herself with her work, she noticed a young man walking towards her from the direction of the meat shop next door. He was tall and lanky, with a mop of curly hair that flopped over his forehead. His name was Padam, and he was from Lamatar, a small town on the outskirts of Bhaktapur.

 

His family owned a meat shop in the same street. The boy was the youngest in his family, which included his parents, his elder brother, and his brother's wife. He sometimes helped at the meat shop. He was in his early twenties, and was pursuing a degree in management at a local university. 

 

"Hello," he said, smiling at her. "I'm Padam. I am from the meat shop next door."

 

She also had seen him once or twice in his shop before, but never cared to bother then.

 

"Hi," she replied, a little shyly. "I'm Barsha. Nice to meet you."

 

Padam started talking to her, and soon they were engaged in a lively conversation about their lives and their hopes for the future. Over the next few days, they got to know each other better, and before long, they were spending most of their time together.

 

One day, Barsha was working at the shop, and Padam came to buy some groceries for his family. They started talking, and before they knew it, they had spent hours chatting about their dreams and ambitions. They found that they had a lot in common, and their conversations quickly became a regular occurrence.

 

Another day, the girl was working at the shop when the boy came to help. They were stacking shelves and having a conversation when the boy's hand accidentally brushed against hers. She felt a jolt of electricity, and the boy noticed her blush.

 

"Sorry about that," he said, smiling. "I didn't mean to startle you."

 

"It's okay," she replied, trying to play it cool.

 

As the day went on, the boy found excuses to come to her shop more often. They would talk about everything under the sun, from their favourite foods to their dreams for the future. The girl found herself laughing more and feeling happier than she had in a long time.

 

One day, as they were walking together after closing the shops, the boy mustered up the courage to ask her out.

 

"Would you like to go out with me sometime?" he asked, nervously.

 

The girl's heart skipped a beat. She had been hoping he would ask.

 

"Yes, I would love to," she replied, smiling.

 

They exchanged numbers and began dating. They would go out to eat, watch movies, and take long walks together. They talked about everything, and the girl felt like she had found her soulmate.

As the days went by, the girl and the boy's relationship deepened. They found solace in each other's company and could not wait to spend more time together.

 

As their love grew, Barsha and Padam began to dream of a life together. Barsha was determined to go to New Zealand for further studies after finishing her intermediate science, and Padam wanted to go with her on a dependent visa. Infact, he had fed her mind with the abroad idea.

 

As the girl finished her intermediate science degree, she knew she wanted to continue her further education abroad. She fought with her family to let her go to New Zealand. They eventually relented, even though it was difficult for them financially. Barsha started doing IELTS and applied for Universities in New Zealand while continuing her Bachelor of Science in Bhaktapur.

 

Eventually, Barsha was granted a visa. Her family spent a fortune to send her to New Zealand. Before leaving, Barsha and Padam secretly got married, hoping it would increase the chance of getting a dependent visa for Padam in the future.

 

The girl left for New Zealand, excited for her new life. She started her new life there, studying hard and making new friends. Meanwhile, Padam stayed in Nepal, working at the meat shop and trying to save money to join her in New Zealand. She started sending money and expensive gifts for him. However, she did not send a penny to pay for the family debt she had put them into, which bothered her family back in Nepal.

 

Days passed. Rejection of multiple visa applications and waste of time and money, left Padam disoriented. She would do and try what she could from abroad. Padam had become insane, blaming Barsha for everything. The money she had brought from the family had finished now. It was time to pay for the tuition fee by herself. She could not send him the money anymore. It was hard for her to pay the bills and fees by herself. 

 

Things went wrong when Padam didn’t understand her hardship. The relationship was in turmoil because he started asking her for more money for no reason and more than his expenses. She started to feel the pressure of supporting her family and paying for her own expenses and university fees.

Desperate to make things work, she tried to reason with him.

 

"You don't have to work, I will work and provide for you, please don't do this," she pleaded.

"It's hard for me to pay my own bills and send you money," Barsha told him. "I'm doing the best I can."

 

"But you promised to take care of me," Padam replied. "You said you would provide for me."

 

"I know," Barsha said, her voice shaking. "But I can't keep giving you money, if you continued like this. I have to think about my own future too."

 

He started asking for more and more money, even though the girl was struggling to pay for her own expenses and university fees. She could not send the money he wanted, and he began to blackmail her. He threatened to tell her family about their secret marriage. He even used some private photos of them together, which he blurred himself out of.

 

Barsha was devastated. She tried to reason with him, but it was of no use. She told him that she would work and provide for him, but he did not stop. He even brought his sister's husband into the mix, and the two of them started planning all sorts of bad things for her.

 

Barsha's endurance had crossed its limit. It was too much for her to bear. She decided to get rid of him once and for all. One day, Barsha decided she had had enough. She filed for divorce from New Zealand and filed a complaint for blackmail with the private content.

 

Her brother helped her with the legal proceedings from Nepal, and soon Padam was summoned by the police. He came to his senses and asked for forgiveness from Barsha, but she had seen his true self and was no longer interested.

 

"I'm sorry, Padam," she said firmly. "But I can't go back to a toxic relationship. I need to free myself and move on to a better life."

He even approached her friends to mend the relationship, but she was done with the toxicity of it and was determined to move on.

 

Finally, Barsha got rid of the toxicity in her life and freed herself for a better life. It was a joyful and painful journey, but she learned that she was strong enough to let go of what wasn't meant for her and make a better life for herself. She learned that love doesn't mean sacrificing your own happiness and wellbeing for someone else's. She was grateful for the lessons she learned, and she was ready to embrace her future with open arms.

 

Despite the distance and the difficulties, she continued to study hard and work multiple jobs to support herself. She had realized that she had been taken advantage of, and she had to work even harder to make up for the money she had sent to her ex.

 

Months went by, and she found herself becoming more and more independent. She was able to support herself, and she was doing well in her studies. She even made some new friends in New Zealand who supported her and helped her get through the difficult times.

 

One day, as Barsha was walking to her job at a cafe, she saw a group of Nepali men standing outside a nearby store. As she got closer, she recognized one of them as her ex's brother-in-law. The man saw her and called out to her.

 

"Hey, aren't you Barsha?" he asked.

 

She tried to ignore him and keep walking, but the man and his friends followed her.

 

"Come on, talk to us," the man said. "We just want to catch up."

 

Barsha knew that they were probably just trying to get information about her so they could pass it on to her ex. She did not want anything to do with them.

 

"Sorry, I'm busy," she said, quickening her pace.

 

But the men continued to follow her, and she started to feel nervous. She did not know what they were capable of, and she did not want to take any chances.

 

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice calling her name. She turned around and saw a group of her friends walking towards her.

 

"Hey, everything okay?" one of them asked.

 

The girl nodded, relieved to see them. The Nepali men quickly backed off and walked away, and she was able to continue on her way to work.

 

After that incident, she realized that she had a new family in New Zealand. Her friends there had become like a second family to her, and she knew that she could always count on them.

 

Years went by, and Barsha graduated from university with a degree. She had made a life for herself in New Zealand, and she was happy. She still missed her family in Nepal. She wanted to see them all, whom she had left behind.

 

One fine day, she is at the door of her home back in Nepal. Everyone welcomed her with smiles, especially her sister, who loved her the most. 

 

"I am proud of you," her sister said. "You have become a strong and independent woman, and I am happy to have you as my sister."

It was a simple statement, but it meant the world to her. Tears filled her eyes as she hugged her sister.

 

Barsha realised that she had come a long way since leaving Nepal. She had faced so many challenges, but she had overcome them all. She knew that she still had a long way to go, but she was ready for whatever the future held.