"It was a miracle for him, no one thought he would survive," says Sangeeta Khadka, looking at her husband Dipendra Basnet lying in a bed at Annapurna Neuro Hospital. Dipendra, of Bhagwati Rural Municipality-1, Dailekh, was shot while he was approaching the parliament building during the Gen-G movement on Bhadra 23.

A photo of Dipendra with a bullet in his head went viral on social media. Many assumed he was dead after seeing the heartbreaking photo of him hanging from a police barricade. However, Dipendra was revived. Now he can smile a little in front of his relatives and wife Sangeeta. ‘Looking back, now he is very normal,’ says Sangeeta.

Dipendra and Sangeeta got married six years ago. They have a four-year-old son. After their son had kidney problems, they had to travel from Dailekh to Kathmandu for treatment, so the Dipendra couple decided to stay in Kathmandu for their son’s treatment and future.

Initially, their son was being treated at the International Child Friendly Hospital. After the hospital said that their son could not be saved, the frightened Dipendra couple admitted him to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. ‘After treatment at the teaching hospital, he became increasingly ill,’ says Sangeeta.

They had incurred a debt of more than 1.2 million rupees during their son’s treatment. The burden of his remaining treatment, family care and debt was also on Dipendra’s shoulders. For a year, he had been preparing to go to Slovakia for employment. At the same time, he worked as an electrician in Kathmandu. Dipendra was supporting his family with the wages he earned from this work.

On Bhadra 23, Dipendra did not tell Sangeeta that he was going to the protest. ‘He had gone to Sundhara at 12:30 pm saying he had some work to do.’ At 4:30 pm, I called him to say he would come for lunch after I had cooked him. But another person picked up the phone and said, “Your man has been shot and injured. Please come to the Civil Hospital soon,” recalls Sangeeta.

Sangeeta rushed to the Civil Hospital. Dipendra was not there. She was immediately referred to Annapurna Neuro Hospital. After reaching the Neuro and questioning her, the doctor showed her Dipendra's photo and said, 'Is he your man?' She could not recognize her own husband's face. Her face was very swollen.

The condition of her eyes was also terrible. Later, she was handed Dipendra's purse. Inside the purse was an identity card. After seeing it, what she could not believe was true. She was shocked. At that moment, she heard the health workers there mutter, 'This is the situation. He will not survive.' After hearing that, she collapsed right there. Sangeeta was admitted to the same hospital. When she woke up, she found herself in a hospital bed. ‘After that, they were not allowed to see him for three days,’ says Sangeeta.

At that time, Dipendra’s condition was very worrying. His left side was not moving. He could not see with one eye. The doctor also said that that eye would not open. ‘By chance, he was taken to a good hospital. He was gradually improving,’ says Sangeeta. After 22 days, Dipendra started to regain the light he had lost in one eye. His body also started moving. Gradually, with encouragement, he was able to walk. Now, Dipendra has even started to speak softly. A bone has been removed from Dipendra’s head. Now there is another operation to replace the bone.