People who know me throughout the district call me Manu. It seems like they said that because they won my heart with their behavior. I am a foreigner here. Even though I come from a foreign place and do business, no one treats me like a foreigner. I am overwhelmed by the love that the people here give me.

My home is Nanpara, India. Even though I was born in India, I often travel to various hilly districts of Nepal to do business. Whatever my job, profession, or work is, this is what I do.

I am 37 years old now. I must have been 13-14 years old when I started traveling business. I have been involved in this work till now. I mainly sell plastic utensils. I have purchased goods from there (Nanpara) and brought them back to sell them.

The profit I make from the small savings I make from the purchases is my income. I save 12 to 15 thousand per month. Compared to my expenses, I do not see much income. I have elderly parents. My wife and two sons are also with me. The eldest son is 7 and the youngest is 4 years old. They also live with their mother in Nanpara (India). My wife also works from home.

I am a traveling merchant. Sometimes I go somewhere, sometimes not at all. I cannot bring all the goods at once. So I bring a little bit of goods from there and store them in one place. Then I carry as much as I can and do business in the villages, markets and villages shouting, ‘Bata ayo, bata...’.

Oh really, I was talking about income and expenses earlier! When I travel in the course of business, I save about 15 thousand rupees a month after deducting food, accommodation and rent. The maximum expenditure is 5-7 thousand rupees on food and medicine. I send the remaining amount to my son and family members. In this way, income and expenses are equal. I feel like I have not been able to spend what I have earned by working hard. I am satisfied with that.

Anyway, I have been able to make a living by earning. My life and that of my family have been going on. I have no dream of becoming rich by saving money. I just pray that I will not have to go hungry. I have come this far by the grace of God. What can I say about desires and dreams, sir! What desires and dreams do we have when we are in zero?

Still, you asked me, I will tell you. If I earn money, I will quit this wandering job and open my own shop. But this is a very big thing. I keep praying that I will not have to suffer and get sick, that I will be able to work and eat like this forever.

Although my family is in good health so far, the doctor has said that I have kidney stones. I have said many times that I will save money for its treatment, but I could never save it. I have been told that I need to have an operation, let's see if I can save money, I will have to do it.

Some people on the mountain side find it surprising that people from India come to Nepal's villages to do business. But the distance between Nanpara and Nepalgunj is not far. You can travel from Nepalgunj to Thiresi for 30 rupees. Even if it is surprising on the one hand, on the other hand, it is normal for Nepalis to come to India and India to Nepal for business and shopping.