On 21 Mangsir 2080, the ringing of Rajendra Khadka's mobile phone from Musikot-1 in Rukum West brought a different news - 'It's time to go to America, come to Kathmandu immediately.'

After studying pharmacy, he opened a small drug store in Salle Bazaar in Musikot, the Rukum district headquarters, and with the dream of going to America, he left home the next morning, packing his bags and kumlo, bowing to his relatives and ancestral gods. The news also said, 'In a week or ten days, flight to flight will reach America via Mexico.' Rajendra had handed over his passport to a person from Rukum some time ago for this. That was the 'good news' for him.

On the evening of the third day after reaching Kathmandu, the broker took him to a hotel and kept him there, saying that he would take him to Dubai. On the fourth morning, as per the broker's instructions, he and four other people reached Bagdogra, India, by bus via Jhapa. From there, he reached Mumbai by ship. There, 80-85 Nepalis like him who were on their way to America were found.

They were kept in Mumbai for 4 days. The broker had said that he would take them to Dubai, but after some disagreement, they were sent back to Kathmandu. A few days later, as per the broker's instructions, Rajendra went directly from Kathmandu to Dubai in the UAE. Then, the broker's money demand began. Initially, Rs. 5 lakh was demanded. He informed his family and did as the broker said. But there was no sign of him moving forward from Dubai.

A month after reaching there, the broker demanded Rs. 4 million at once, saying, 'We will move forward soon.' At first, he was scared. But Rajendra, who was on his way to America, begged and paid the amount he had asked for. Even then, his journey from Dubai did not proceed.

The waiting time passed. After two months, he learned that his friends and he had been blacklisted by immigration because their visas had expired. Then, on the advice of the broker, they returned to Mumbai, India. He spent four weeks there amid similar assurances. Rajendra recalled that moment and said, "The broker said that he was arranging it, that this happened because they were going by plane. We believed him."

One day, the broker said, "Now we will go to Uzbekistan from here." The four of them were taken to the airport. Two people, including Rajendra, were flown back to Delhi instead of Uzbekistan. After staying there for a day, he reached Uzbekistan alone. The broker had said, "Don't leave the airport." We will arrange tickets for Cuba.

But the said broker did not come in contact for a long time after he landed at the airport. After spending some time, he left the airport as per the broker's instructions. He spent the next two months waiting in suspense again. The same story happened again, as it had happened in Dubai. The visa expired. He was blacklisted. And then he returned to Mumbai.

He spent another boring month in Mumbai. He said, 'I was getting tired of going back and forth between Delhi and Mumbai. From there, we were taken to Uganda in Africa. After 4 days, we were taken to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.' His stay there too was not comfortable. He added, 'The stay here was very difficult. The food was not good. The room leaked when it rained.' He got rid of this frustration after a month. Because through a broker, he was taken from there to Bajaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo.

His stay in Bajaville was fine, but when the broker who was responsible for taking him to America stopped contacting him, his frustration began to grow. After staying there for about 2 months, it was discovered that Rajendra and two others had visas for the South American country of Brazil. But instead of going to Brazil, they were taken back to Kinshasa, the capital of the Republic of Congo.

After taking him there, the broker demanded 1 million rupees. He contacted his home and raised money. After receiving the money, the broker went out of contact. Every time he asked for money at home, he would tell them that his work to go to America was progressing. And the family members would take out loans to raise money.

The 28 days of his stay in Kinshasa were not easy. He said, ‘It was very hot, if it rained, it would be a little cooler.’ Otherwise, things will get worse.'

After 28 days, he found the broker. He expressed his anger to him. He said, 'Because I had already paid 6 million to the broker.' The broker took him to Ethiopia by air from there. And after about 17 hours of 'transit', he took him to Brazil.

As he reached the South American country from Africa, he felt like he was getting closer to America. But there was still an uncertain journey ahead. Because it had been 11 months since he left home.

Even after reaching Brazil, his troubles did not end. He said, 'Our broker used people to 'kidnap' us. The 3-4 thousand dollars he had with him were stolen.'

After being exploited repeatedly by the broker, he even tried to change the broker. But it was not as easy as it sounds. He said, ‘At that time, there were only two of us, a friend from Kaski Pokhara and me. For 2 days, we were kept in a locked room in Brazil. Then, we were made to travel by bus for 8 consecutive days.’

From Brazil, he reached Colombia via Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador with the help of agents of organized human traffickers. Recounting the horror he experienced on that journey, he said, ‘This journey was very difficult. We were robbed at 25-30 places. In Peru, the police would rob us. There, they stripped us naked and examined us. On this journey, the vehicle was a bus that was heading our way. But only illegal people like us were on it.’

Even after reaching Colombia, his shock remained. After reaching Niccolò, Colombia, the broker told him, ‘Now we have to leave for Panama soon.’ It cost more than what he had said before.' By now, he had spent more than 6 million. He again borrowed 5-7 million and paid the broker. Then the same incident happened again. He said, 'The broker disappeared.'

Human smugglers' agents used to arrange for the help of a donkar (a person who shows the way) when they illegally entered from one country to another. But in Colombia, he was surprised by the donkar. The donkar who was supposed to help him cross the border had made them prisoners. The reason was that their broker had not reconciled the old accounts with the donkar. He said, 'The donkar kept us 2 and 10 Nepalis from another group locked up.' His three friends tried to escape from there. But the donkar caught the escapees within 24 hours. Then Donkar pointed a gun at them and demanded $20,000 each. He also stopped giving them food because they did not give him money. He said, ‘We were held captive for 47 days.’

Rajendra still chokes up when he remembers that difficult time. When Donkar refused to let him go, Rajendra collected 1.7 million rupees and paid it. Then Donkar let him go. He said, ‘After receiving the money, the same Donkar sent him on a boat to another destination.’

Sometimes a journey through the jungle, sometimes through the sea. Sometimes held hostage in an unknown place for weeks, sometimes hungry and thirsty for days. He experienced all the hardships. Sometimes a journey through the jungle, sometimes across the sea. Sometimes held hostage in an unknown place for weeks, sometimes hungry and thirsty for days. He experienced all kinds of hardships. His different journey began in Colombia. On one hand, worries about his family, on the other hand, the anguish of knowing what steps to take forward. Even though he had a brief conversation with his family, he did not express his sorrows much. Rajendra became emotional, ‘I was the only Nepali on this journey. There were people from different countries. No language. A very silent journey.’

After reaching the small town of Turbo in Colombia, he met four Nepalis. One young man and one young woman from Dang, one from Rolpa, and one from Rukum. He said, ‘I felt relieved when I met a Nepali.’ After spending two days in Turbo, his journey to cross the Darien Gap through the dangerous jungle began.

No decision to stay or eat. Nor was there any certainty of the journey. Confusion and uncertainty were his only companions. During the terrifying journey through the Darien Gap, he saw the bodies of dead travelers everywhere. He said, ‘There was no limit to the fear, fortunately I did not faint. We hurriedly moved forward, calling on God.’

At one point, he was attacked by bandits. They had come to rob him. But he escaped death by running away. But a bandit struck him on the head with a sharp weapon. Fortunately, he escaped death.

On this journey, he saw bandits who had been robbed. He saw female travelers who had been abused. He felt death approaching many times. He said, ‘I cannot describe the pain of that time in words.’ At that time, I would rather have died, what I was going through and seeing, I cried a lot, thinking of the land as my mother's embrace. But here, the price of my tears became cheaper than water. Now I felt like I would die here, and I wondered in my heart what kind of place I would die in, what news my family would get of my body.'

After crossing the dangerous path of the Darien Gap, he reached Pana. He reached the immigration center there. And asked for 300 dollars from home. Even then, his uncertain journey remained. From there, his journey continued through Costa Rica to Nicaragua. On each of these journeys, his companions changed, but the sorrow and confusion were the same. Each time, he would be robbed or cheated by the robbers, and he would move on, saying he was lucky to survive.

After reaching Nicaragua, he calculated. The broker who took the responsibility of taking him to America from Nepal had disappeared with 8.475 million. He had spent another 1.1 million during the journey as the Donkars kept changing. In this way, he had lost almost 10 million. But his destination had not yet been found.

After a journey of about 12 hours from Nicaragua, he reached Honduras. After another 12 hours of continuous journey, he reached Guatemala. After reaching there, the broker kept him for two days. And then he was taken to the Mexican border.

After reaching the country bordering America, Rajendra finally felt happy. He said, ‘I have never been so happy in my life. Because now I felt like America was close.’ From there, the human trafficker’s agent put 45-50 people in a truck that could hold 10-15 people. And then a tarpaulin was put on the outside. He added, ‘My happiness was extinguished when the tarpaulin was put on.’

After reaching Nicaragua, he did the math. The broker who had taken charge of taking him from Nepal to the US had disappeared with 8.475 million. They were arrested while they were illegally moving forward. They reached a detention center in Tapachula, Mexico. There were 55 of them. They said that they planned to go on a hunger strike after they showed no signs of leaving for four days. He said, ‘After the hunger strike, they were released on the condition that they leave Mexico within 24 hours.’

Even after being released from the detention center, their suffering was not over. He said that they were moving towards the US border in different vehicles at intervals of half an hour. He said, ‘We traveled for 6 days, from the trunk of the car to the microbus.’

After reaching the American border, he was finally able to eat noodles comfortably. The day he was full, he fell into the trap of robbers again. He tried to forget this robbery in the joy of reaching the American border. Rajendra said, ‘At around 2 am, as the broker told us, we climbed a wall as high as a 3-story building and jumped into the American border.’ He clearly remembers that it was the night of 11 Magh 2081. And he also remembers that 14 months had passed since he left home that day. And more than 10 million rupees had already been spent.

They were in California. At that time, American border security officers arrested them. १८ घण्टा एक ठाउँमा नियन्त्रणमा राखेपछि उनीहरूलाई एरिजोनास्थित हिरासत कक्षमा चार दिन राखेर मिसिसिपी पुर्‍याइयो । त्यहाँको हिरासत कक्ष पुगेपछि उनले बल्ल घरमा खबर पुर्‍याए, म अमेरिका आएँ है भनेर । तर उनले आफू थुनामा परेको भने बताएनन् । त्यसपछि सुरु भयो उनको फरक तर अत्यासपूर्ण दिन । उनले सुनाए, ‘खानाको नाममा बिहान र बेलुका दुई/दुई वटा पाउरोटी र पानी मात्रै दिन्थ्यो । अनि आइतबार बेलुकाचाहिँ तीन पिस चिप्स र एउटा स्याउ दिन्थ्यो । यही खाएर दिन कटाउनुपर्थ्यो । सुरु–सुरुमा त गाह्रो भयो । तर बिस्तारै बानी पर्दै जान थाल्यो ।’

एउटा पातलो म्याट र एकसरो पातलो कपडा ओढेर रात काट्नुपर्ने र भोलिको दिनमा के हुन्छ भनेर अनुमान गर्न नसकिने दिनचर्या उनका निम्ति सजिला थिएनन् । त्यसमाथि अमेरिका आउँदा उठाएको कर्जाले उनको पूरै परिवार थिचिएको थियो ।

हिरासत कक्षाको सानो कोठा नै उनको संसार थियो । उनले सुनाए, ‘ब्लकको पालोअनुसार हप्तामा १–२ पल्ट एक घण्टाका लागि बाहिर निकाल्थ्यो, त्यही बेला आकाश हेर्न पाइन्थ्यो ।’

नेपाली स्वादको खाने रहरले उनले नेपालकै एजेन्टमार्फत पैसा झिकाउँथे । अनि हिरासत कक्षको नियमअनुसार शनिबार र आइतबार अनलाइनबाट एक पटकमा १५ वटासम्म चाउचाउ र २ वटा बिस्कुट अर्डर गर्थे । उनले सुनाए, ‘११ महिना १६ दिनसम्म मैले यस्तै खाएर बिताएँ ।’

हिरासत कक्षबाटै उनले शरणार्थीका लागि आवेदन दिएर मुद्दा लडिरहेका थिए । उनले आफूलाई नेपाल सरकारबाट असुरक्षा भएको र उता बस्न नसक्ने भएर यता आएको तर्क गर्दै शरण मागिरहेका थिए ।

२७ भदौ २०८२ मा राजेन्द्रको अन्तिम सुनुवाइ थियो । जेलकै एउटा कोठामा भिडियो कलमार्फत आफ्नो बयान दिने व्यवस्था थियो । दोभासेको सहयोगमा उनले आफ्ना तर्कहरू वकिलमार्फत राखे । राजेन्द्रले त्यो दिन नेपालमा जेन–जी आन्दोलन भएको तीन दिन मात्रै बितेको कुरा पछि मात्र थाहा पाएका थिए । सुनुवाइका बेला न्यायाधीशले उनलाई भने, ‘तिमीलाई सरकारबाट असुरक्षा छ भनेका थियौ । अब त्यहाँ तिम्रो देशमा त्यो सरकार रहेन । यसकारण अब तिमीलाई गाह्रो छैन । आफ्नै देश फर्कन सक्छौ ।’

यस्तो सुन्नेबित्तिकै उनी खङ्ग्रङ्ग भए । सबै सपना टुटेजस्तो भयो । उनले भविष्य सम्झे, करोडमाथिको ऋण सम्झे । अनि साहुहरूको लस्कर सम्झे ।

ᴼᴼᴼ

फैसला सुनाएको ५ महिनापछि राजेन्द्र अमेरिकाबाट डिपोर्ट भए । उनले सुनाए, ‘डिपोर्ट गर्नेबित्तिकै फर्काइहाल्ने रहेनछ । र, मलाई फेरि जेलमै राखिरह्यो । अब घर जाने दिनगन्ती सुरु भयो । करिब ५ महिनापछि गत माघ महिनाको एक दिन नेपाल फर्किने मेरो पालो आयो ।’

२ वर्ष ६ महिनापछि उनी नेपाल फर्किने भए । उनले सुनाए, ‘हामीलाई हात, खुट्टा र कम्मरमा फलामको नेल लगाइयो । अनि त्यही अवस्थामा नेपाल फर्काइयो ।’ उनले यसरी फर्किनेमा उनीसहित ८० नेपाली, २५–३० बंगाली र अरूचाहिँ कम्बोडियाका रहेको बताए ।

अमेरिकाको जेलबाट निस्किएको ७ दिनपछि गत १८ माघ बिहानपख नेपाल आइपुगे । उनीसँग स्वदेश फर्किनुको खुसी थियो । तर घण्टौं लामो उडान र फलामका नेलले बाँधिएका हातखुट्टाको दुखाइले उनी रनाहमा थिए । हिरासतबाट लुजियाना पुर्‍याइयो । अनि डेढ घण्टाको उडानबाट टेक्ससफ्लाइट गरेर टेक्सस एयरपोर्ट ल्यायो ।

अमेरिकाको जेलबाट निस्किएको ७ दिनपछि गत १८ माघ बिहानपख नेपाल आइपुगे । उनीसँग स्वदेश फर्किनुको खुसी थियो । तर घण्टौं लामो उडान र फलामका नेलले बाँधिएका हातखुट्टाको दुखाइले उनी रनाहमा थिए । विमानस्थलबाट बाहिर निस्कँदा सयौं अपरिचित आँखाले उनलाई हेरिरहेजस्तो लाग्यो । उनले सुनाए, ‘सबैको नजर हामीतिरै थियो । कसैले केही सोध्न खोजेजस्तो अनि कसैले भिडियो–फोटो खिच्न खोजेजस्तो । म यो सबैबाट सकेसम्म जोगिएर बाहिर निस्किएँ । अब त आफ्नै देश जो आएको थिएँ । भुइँमै थुचुक्क बसे पनि घरजस्तै लाग्ने भाव मनमा आएको थियो । फुरुंग थिएँ ।’