'What's in this bag?'
A sentinel stationed at the gate asked three women, pointing to their bags.
On Sunday, as the clock struck two, the private residence of newly elected President Ram Chandra Poudel in Boharatar, Kathmandu was chock-a-block with well-wishers.
Well-wishers were awaiting from the roof to the ground floor with garlands and khada (scarf) in their hands.
"We arrived straight from the airport. We brought some gifts to my brother in a bag," said a woman.
The President's wife Sabita Paudel arrived there when the security personnel were shouting that they could not be taken inside. Even on the fourth day after the presidential election, the same tension was running in the Poudel’s house.
Sabita, who looked happy, was shocked outright. She was careful not to let down those who came to congratulate her husband. Decades have passed by since she served the party workers and elders coming home this way.
Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba became Prime Minister five times. But Ram Chandra Paudel, who is older than Deuba, was Speaker of the House of the House of Representatives and several times a minister, but never attained the chief executive position of the country. Nor did he get to hold the reins of an old big party like the NC by becoming the president. Deuba overtook Poudel when he was trying to take over the leadership of the party after Sushil Koirala.
Poudel, who became the prime ministerial candidate from the NC, has been the subject of constant ridicule, of late, as he lost the elections 17 times.
In 2010, after he was defeated in the premiership despite voting held for 17 times, there were media reports that he became very sad and disappointed.
Poudel often reached the point of alienation as he spent more than six decades in the field of politics. However, he never gave up his struggle in despair due to Sabita's and constant and unyielding support.
“It is said to have lost 17 times. But he ran once and lost. Who won 17 times and he lost 17 times?” questioned Sabita.
Despite being ridiculed from all quarters saying that he lost 17 times for the premiership, Poudel did not turn away from politics, instead he came forward more strongly.
She is more familiar with Ram Chandra's failures than his successes. However, in Ram Chandra's political life, failure is greater than success. Sabita continued to inspire and encourage him to deal with those failures due to which, Poudel has now managed to reach Sheetal Niwas as the third president of the country.
Sabita was only 11 years old when her parents married her off to Ram Chandra.
"At that time, it was customary that a daughter had to be married off before her period," she told Nepalkhabar.
After entering the Poudel family as a daughter-in-law at a young age, it was difficult for her to adjust into the lifestyle there. Ram Chandra was active in student’s politics when he was only 15 years old.
It has been 63 years since Sabita has been in a relationship with Ram Chandra. Her initial days were not the bed of roses.
“Now I have reached 70 years. I was only 11 years old at that time, but I have no complaints, I am happy," she says, who witnessed Ram Chandra's ups and downs and failures during his political career.
"Even though others say 14 years, he stayed in jail for 16 years repeatedly. During the period, I brought up five children alone without making them feel the lack of a father,” Sabita shares.
He has experience that there are no holidays in politics, let alone family outings and fun. Instead, he was always in fear of what would happen and when the police would arrest him.
"He got to see his daughter only four years after the birth of his eldest daughter," she said.
Bringing an air of disbelief to her face, which was lit up with happiness that her husband was elected president, Sabita said, "I have seen the days when the police beat me and smashed my head. I have also seen the days when I was waiting in the hospital after I broke my arm."
Paudel's father passed away in 2045. He was arrested by the police from Tanahun when he was in mourning. She recalls that when Poudel was arrested, the whole villagers had cried.
Sabita understood that Ram Chandra never exposed his pain to others. He was always smiling even while in despair. She says that she can see the pain on Ram Chandra's smiling face.
The result of the struggle for party leadership with Paudel is not sweet either. He competed with Sher Bahadur Deuba for the party presidency in the 13th General Convention of the party. But as both of them could not get the majority, the voting was held in the second phase.
When asked how she felt the moment Ram Chandra was elected President, her exact answer was, “all the pains of my life were washed away after seeing him happy. I cannot describe in words how happy I was that day.”
After Ram Chandra was elected President, there was an interesting scene in Parliament. While Ram Chandra, Deuba and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” were taking photos of Prachanda, Deuba did not want to miss Sabita there either.
She always helped Ram Chandra behind the scenes even though she never actively joined politics. "I am happy with the role I played in taking Ram Chandra forward," she says.
