Barun’s life was in ruins long before the earthquake ever struck his country of Nepal in 2015. When he was younger, his mother died and his father got remarried to a woman who treated him harshly. Because of the ill treatment, he never finished his studies.
When Barun married, he and his wife moved away to avoid the conflict with his stepmother, despite the cultural norm of staying near his parents. But this didn’t bring the peace he hoped for. Barun and his wife, Parbarti, argued all the time. Their son often fell ill, which only added to Barun’s growing depression. Discouraged and disheartened, Barun found it difficult to work or provide for his family. His wife took up work sewing clothes to maintain the family.
Believers open their hearts
After the earthquake, Barun and Parbarti found themselves, along with thousands of others, bereft and in need. Their home, now ready to crumble from the numerous aftershocks that shook the nation, offered them no comfort in the night. They slept outside, fearing another quake would finish off the destruction.
