Rubina Smiles

The scenic landscapes of majestic mountains fade into the skeletons of what were once hustling and bustling villages, as the broad roads tapper to narrow rugged trails headed to Sindhupalchowk. The deafening silence of desolate ramshackle hamlets is unexpectedly interrupted by the inconsolable wails of 15-month-old Rubina.

Replicating a mother’s touch, Elina, 15, gently sways Rubina from side to side to soothe her into a state of stillness.

Replicating a mother’s touch, 15-year-old Elina gently sways Rubina from side to side to soothe her into a state of stillness. Within minutes Rubina quiets down, slipping in and out of slumber. United by a pure bond, Elina and Rubina survived one of the biggest catastrophes in the history of Nepal.

"Ujjwal, Sirijana and I were watching TV in our neighbour’s house. I was holding Rubina in my hand, when the earthquake came," says Elina.

Catapulting the children to the ground, the vigorous shaking caused by the earthquake, cruelly tears down the house in one thud, showering the children with dangerous masses of debris; ultimately trapping their tiny bodies under a mountain of rubble.

"It was dark and scary inside. There was dust all around. It was hard to breathe. I had Rubina with me. She was crying very loudly. I just clutched Rubina close with one hand and with the other our neighbour uncle’s leg. I didn’t think we would survive," says Elina.

Trapped within the debris of his own home, 25-year-old Uttar Nepali fell unconscious on impact.

"At first I was unconscious but when I regained consciousness. I saw that I was stuck in the rubble with no way to escape. The children had caught onto my leg. Their crying was overwhelming. Their faces were full of fear. I felt hopeless. But I knew I had to shake the feeling off soon and somehow find a way out," says Uttar Nepali.

Swapping the sense of hopelessness with the will to survive Uttar Nepali, guided by a small beam of light piercing through the rubble, makes one last attempt to crawl out. And after an ordeal of 30 minutes, draws himself and the children out of the deadly debris. Having severe wounds, baby Rubina wept uncontrollably, expressing her immense pain.

Her right eye was fully swollen and Rubina was unable to open her eye. We thought that she had lost her eye and wouldn’t be able to see with that again.

"Babies don’t know what to do when stuck in the rubble. Her eyes must have been open causing more injury. Her right eye was fully swollen and Rubina was unable to open her eye. We thought that she had lost her eye and wouldn’t be able to see with that again," says Rubina’s grandmother.

For Rubina’s father Bel Bahadur Nepal, the two-hour journey from his workplace to home was most agonising hours of his life.

"I work as an assistant for a civil engineer. I was in the field when the earthquake came. All I could think about was my family. The thought of not knowing what happened the family is not a good feeling. I was unable to reach my family via phone the signals were jammed, there were mudslides everywhere," says Bel Bahadur Nepal.

Finally approaching his village and internalising the visuals of a ruthlessly crushed village,
Bel Bahadur’s anxiety skyrocketed to towering levels.

"I saw my house. There was nothing there anymore," he says.

Upon his arrival, Bel Bahadur was given the most devastating news. His wife OmKumari did not survive the quake.

"He just fell to the ground and started crying. He was up the whole night. Bel Bahadur’s older 4-year-old child was taken away from the village to forget the memories of his mother," says Uttar Nepali. Bel Bahadur’s son is now staying with relatives.

Sindhupalchowk is one of the worst affected areas from the 25th April 2015 Nepal earthquake. As per government reports, in Sindhupalchowk 3423 have died, 859 injured and 63,885 houses totally destroyed.

There is nothing much to salvage. All is lost.

Recalling the aspiring nature of his wife Bel Bahadur says, "She wanted to complete her education and do her bachelors. I loved her very much," says Bel Bahadur.

Currently, living in a makeshift shelter, Bel Bahadur returns to his tattered and broken down home to have a final glimpse of the ruin.

"There is nothing much to salvage. All is lost," says Bel Bahadur Thapa.

Leaving baby Rubina under her grandmother’s care Bel Bahadur Thapa heads to the World Vision distribution camp. Eager to be one of the volunteers to offload the relief truck, Bel Bahadur hops-on, relaying the tarps one by one into the temporary storage area.

Waking up early the next day, Bel Bahadur’s entire family anxiously wait for the World Vision’s relief distribution to commence. Rubina latches onto her grandmother tightly, as they patiently stand in line to receive the relief goods.

Looking at other children play around near the distribution site, little Rubina finally giggles, illuminating her face with a serene smile, symbolising the resilience of humanity amidst tragedy.

Rubina’s family, along with 886 other households received shelter kits, household kits, and hygiene kits at the World Vision relief distribution camp in Sindhupalchowk.