Part 1 — A New Beginning Sandhya was a simple girl from an ordinary family.She did not have any big dreams. At least, at that age, she did not even understand what her dreams meant. Her world was small—her mother, her home, school, books, goats, cows, and the familiar paths of her village.But even inside that small world, Sandhya's childhood held many stories.The earthquake of 2015 had destroyed their old house. Even after several years had passed, their home had still not been rebuilt the way it once was. Circumstances had forced Sandhya and her mother to live in a simple house surrounded by tin sheets.The house was not big.The tin sheets were old. Some places had begun to rust, while some of the joints had become loose. Whenever the wind blew, the sheets would hit against one another and make a loud sound.Clang... clang...That sound was familiar to Sandhya.It was part of her mornings.It was part of her evenings.Yet Sandhya never thought her home was ugly.Because her mother was there.During the summer, the house became extremely hot.When the afternoon sun became harsh, the tin roof would heat up, and the warmth would spread throughout the small room. Sometimes, while sitting with her books, Sandhya would have sweat running down her forehead.But there was also something beautiful about that old tin roof.Small gaps between the sheets allowed thin rays of sunlight to enter the house. Those rays created little patches of light on the walls.Even when one corner of the room was dark, the sunlight coming through those tiny gaps created a different world inside the house.Tiny particles of dust floating in the air would sparkle inside those beams of sunlight.Sometimes Sandhya would stop reading and simply watch the scene.She would stretch out her hand, trying to catch the sunlight.But the light never stayed in her hand.She would smile to herself.Her childhood was filled with little moments like that.The rainy season was a little harder for their house.Whenever dark clouds gathered in the sky, Sandhya would instinctively look toward the roof.As soon as the rain began, it would beat loudly against the tin sheets.Rain... rain... rain...Before long, water would begin leaking through different places.Her mother would quickly bring old pots, buckets, and containers and place them beneath the leaks.Just when they managed to stop one leak, another would appear somewhere else.The sound of water falling into the containers filled the room.Drop... drop... drop...Sometimes Sandhya would simply watch her mother.She could see the tiredness on her mother's face.But her mother never complained.When heavy rain was accompanied by strong winds, Sandhya became frightened.The tin sheets would shake violently.Clang... clang...Sometimes it felt as though the entire house was trembling.During such moments, Sandhya would move closer to her mother.“Mother...”Her mother would immediately come beside her.“Nothing will happen, dear.”She would hold Sandhya's hand.“Don't be afraid. I am here.”Sandhya would lean against her mother's chest.But while sitting in her mother's arms, she could feel something.Her mother's heartbeat was also faster than usual.Sometimes her mother's hands trembled slightly.Sandhya understood.Her mother was afraid too.But her mother never allowed Sandhya to feel her fear.Even while she herself was frightened, she held her daughter tightly and gave her courage.After the storm passed, her mother would gently stroke Sandhya's hair and ask,“Are you still scared?”Sandhya would slowly shake her head.“No.”Deep inside, she thought,“I am never afraid when I am with Mother.”At that age, Sandhya did not understand the depth of her mother's sacrifices.But she had already begun to understand one thing—Her mother was hiding her own fear just to make her daughter feel safe.That little house made of tin sheets was weak.But to Sandhya, it was still her safest place.Because it was not the tin sheets that made the house safe.It was her mother.Sandhya's elder sisters had already finished their schooling in the village and moved to Kathmandu.They lived separately with their younger brother.Sandhya's father, eldest brother, and uncles also lived in Kathmandu.But Sandhya and her mother remained in the village.Most of the time, there were only the two of them at home.Her mother went out to work throughout the day.Sandhya went to school.After returning from school, she would quickly begin helping with the household work.She gave water to the goats.She cleaned the cow shed.She removed the cow dung.She took the goats out to graze.Sometimes, while the goats were grazing, she would carry her books with her.She would sit under a tree and open her book.The goats would quietly eat grass nearby.And Sandhya would create her own little world among the pages.