After dinner, everyone went off to their beds, but Suvarna could not sleep. Her eyes refused to close. The strange scenes she had witnessed beyond the hills kept replaying in her mind. Restless and curious, she began imagining them all over again.
She saw people dressed in unusual clothes, small tents made into temporary homes, and a glowing fire burning in the center. Everyone sat in a circle around it, warming themselves, while food was being cooked nearby. She watched this "scene" in her thoughts with wonder, but she could not understand a word they spoke, as everything was in a foreign language.
After a while, one of the tourists called his guide and asked him to talk to the crying Suvarna. The guide turned out to be a Nepali speaker, which made communication much easier. He first gently asked Suvarna to sit on a nearby chair and calm down.
Once she had settled, he asked her about herself. Suvarna introduced herself as Suvarna Khadka, saying she was from a village called Swargalok and that her family had five members. She also explained why she had come there.
Then, gently, he asked why she had been crying.
Suvarna replied honestly, "I used to think tourists were rich people, but after coming here I realized they are very poor. They don't have proper houses, proper cooking places, and even their clothes are torn. Seeing their condition made me feel very sad, and tears came to my eyes."
Hearing this, the guide burst into laughter and shared her words with his friends. Soon, everyone around began laughing. Suvarna was completely confused seeing them laugh like that.
After they calmed down, the guide lovingly explained everything to her. He told her that they were not poor at all—they were simply camping there for a few days.
Suvarna, now curious and excited, asked, "What is camping?"
He smiled and replied, "Camping is an outdoor activity. It is a way of spending a short time away from cities, in nature. People set up small temporary shelters using tents and stay close to nature. They come here during their free time to relax, take a break from work, and enjoy the beauty of nature."
Hearing this, Suvarna's excitement grew even more. She quickly asked again, "Then why are they wearing torn clothes?"
The guide laughed again and said, "Those clothes aren't torn. It's actually a fashion trend in cities—many people like to dress this way."
Suvarna listened with great interest. The guide and his friends found her innocent curiosity both surprising and delightful.
Then a boy named Nick picked up a guitar and started singing. Everyone joined in—some clapped, some hummed along, and the rhythm filled the air. Heli and Justin even got up and started dancing. Seeing all this, Suvarna felt an overwhelming joy she had never experienced before.
Slowly, evening turned into night. It was time for Suvarna to return home, but she had traveled so far that she had lost her way. She became confused and worried.
Realizing she had no idea how to go back, the group insisted that it was already too late and invited her to stay at their camp for the night. They promised to safely drop her home the next morning.
Suvarna agreed.
They offered her delicious foreign foods—sandwiches, energy drinks, pizza, burgers, and more—which she had never tasted before. Yet, even in all this excitement, she felt a little homesick and quietly sad.
To cheer her up, the foreigners and their friends told jokes and performed small acts to make her laugh. In return, Suvarna sang beautiful Nepali songs for them. The night became warm, joyful, and full of shared happiness.
Curious, Suvarna began asking them about foreign countries. They told her about tall buildings, crowded cities, delicious foods, and the lively nightlife of bars and clubs. Listening to all this filled Suvarna's heart with dreams of traveling the world one day.
With those dreams still shining in her mind, she eventually fell asleep.
Even in her dreams, her desire to see the world did not leave her. She wandered through imaginary places, smiling even in sleep.
The next morning, she woke up early, washed her face, and went to help her mother in the kitchen. Still lost in yesterday's thoughts, she told her mother about her wish to travel the world.
Her mother gently replied, "Very few people in this world don't want to travel, especially at your age. It is natural to dream like this. But we are not so wealthy that we can afford to travel the world. We must dream according to our means."
Later, Suvarna shared her dreams with her grandmother as well. But her grandmother responded in a way that made her heart heavy:
"My child, your parents work very hard. They have raised you all with great struggle, saving every little penny. They do not have money for unnecessary expenses. You still have to be married off, your brother is also of marriageable age, and your studies are ongoing. If you start thinking about traveling so far away, and something goes wrong, it will only bring more problems. So don't stress yourself with such thoughts."
After hearing all this, Suvarna became deeply thoughtful and worried.