Love, loss, and bed 33

KATHMANDU: Sometimes, silence screams louder than words. At Sindhuli Hospital, Bed Number 33 has been silently crying for justice and compassion for the past 26 months.

On the second floor of the hospital, a motionless body breathes faintly. The organs are unresponsive, the eyes remain closed. At times, his heartbeat races in panic; at other times, his breath nearly halts.

This is the body of Tej Bahadur Sinjali Magar, a resident of Pallo Rampur, Kamalamai Municipality-7. He has been in a coma since Chaitra 2, 2079 BS.

By his side sits his wife, Bimala Ramoli, who hasn’t left him alone even for a moment. She holds his pulse, gently strokes his face, and wipes away tears that seem endless. Her life has been consumed by pain, poverty, and solitude.

With no one to assist her in the hospital, and elderly parents on both sides unable to support her, Bimala shoulders the burden alone. Her husband’s critical condition breaks her heart repeatedly. She cries in silence—often retreating to the restroom to weep so her husband doesn’t sense her pain.

“It’s been 26 months of crying day and night. If I cry near him, his heartbeat spikes. That’s why I cry inside the toilet,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Their married life, once filled with love and dreams, took a tragic turn. The couple, married after a four-year love relationship, was planning to have children. But on that fateful day, Tej Bahadur’s motorcycle (Ja 8 Pa 6458) was hit by a Bolero (Ba 1 Cha 4372) driven by Sheshraj Pahadi of Tinpatan-9. The collision in Gairi, Tinpatan-2, changed everything.

Following the accident, Tej Bahadur was airlifted to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu. Over Rs 1.2 million was spent in just 10 days.

He was then transferred to the Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj due to financial constraints, and finally brought back to Sindhuli Hospital, where he has been under care for the past 14 months.

So far, over NPR 5 million has been spent on treatment. Bimala says she has borrowed more than Rs 4.5 million and is drowning in rising interest rates. Even feeding Tej Bahadur simple meals like porridge has become a struggle.

The accused driver and vehicle owner, Sheshraj Pahadi, had agreed to provide Rs 2 million for medical expenses, but only Rs 500,000 has been received so far. He has since gone into hiding.

“I cannot leave my husband alone, and I cannot earn. I am completely helpless,” said Bimala.

Though the District Court of Sindhuli convicted Pahadi in a motor vehicle injury case on Asar 12, 2081 BS and sentenced him to three years in prison, a Rs 20,000 fine, and Rs 800 in compensation, the verdict has yet to be enforced. He had spent just two months and 27 days in custody and hasn’t been re-arrested.

Meanwhile, the compensation case remains undecided at the District Administration Office (DAO) in Sindhuli due to failure of the offender to honor the settlement agreement. As per the deal, the amount was to be paid in three installments by Shrawan 2081, but nothing more has been received.

In Shrawan 2081, desperate for justice and aid, Bimala staged a sit-in at the DAO along with her comatose husband. Chief District Officer Lila Prasad Sharma assured her of efforts to track down the accused and deliver justice.

But Bimala is still waiting—for support, for justice, for a miracle.