Ward 451 of the National Trauma Center. Tears of joy filled Nanda Bohara's eyes as she packed her belongings. Her son Prakash, who was lying on the bed, was motioning to his friends to put the books next to his pillow into the bag. Looking at her son, Nanda said, "I was thinking the day I came to the hospital, now I'll be spending five or six months here."

This was the moment when Prakash, who was seriously injured after being shot during the Gen-G movement, was discharged from the National Trauma Center on Tuesday after five months. 

He was shot in his left leg during the protest in front of the Parliament building in New Baneshwor on 23 Bhadra. He had to be treated in the ICU for a long time after suffering a deep nerve injury. ‘Where were these days? It hurt so much, I felt like I wouldn’t survive,’ Prakash is heard saying emotionally.

Prakash collapsed after being shot that day. While being taken to the hospital, one of his shoes came off. A picture of that blood-stained shoe went viral on social media. Many people who came out to the protest on 24 Bhadra looked angry at the stained shoe. Kantipur Daily had published a news report about Prakash’s iconic shoe, which has become a symbol of the Gen-G movement.

That shoe also had its own story. Prakash had narrated that story to Kantipur some time ago with a sigh. After passing the Health Assistant (HA) exam in 2073, Prakash was busy preparing for the Public Service Commission exam. When that didn't work out, he worked on various projects for a while.

He also worked in the health service branch of Dailekh Prison for a while. Prakash was worried that he could not meet his household expenses with the income from his small grocery store and simple farming. He had taken a loan to rebuild his house that was destroyed by the earthquake. As the debt increased, he looked for various options, but failed in many of them. While his worries were growing, the Russia-Ukraine war began. On the advice of his friends, he decided to join the Russian army.

Two years ago, Prakash also joined the Russian army and fought against Ukraine. By chance, he was able to return to Nepal safely 10 months ago. He bought a bike with the earnings from the Russian army. On his way back home, he also bought two pairs of shoes that were on sale at a shop in Nepalgunj. One of them was a pair of white shoes that had gone viral. ‘I bought those Samba brand shoes for Rs 1,500,’ recalls Prakash.

Prakash was in the ICU when the shoes went viral. The subsequent hospital stay was not easy. ‘It was like hell for me,’ says Prakash, who is on the verge of being discharged. For the past one and a half months, his pain has gradually decreased. ‘Today, when the doctor said that he would be discharged, I felt happy. I remembered all the days that had passed,’ says Prakash. Even while in the hospital, Prakash’s mind was on the future of the country. ‘The pain of taking pills was still there because I raised my voice for change. Now, I was more worried about where the country would go,’ he recalls.

Prakash’s mother Nanda Bohra arrived in Kathmandu on Asoj 3 for treatment. Mother Nanda, who has witnessed her son’s every pain, is happy with the news of his son’s discharge, but her worries are not over. 

‘I feel happy to be able to go home,’ she says, ‘but I am also afraid of what will happen in the future, no matter how strong the leg veins are.’ According to the doctor, it will take time for the veins to work fully. Prakash has been advised to come back for follow-up and further treatment after some time.