Entangled between the giant Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, Kathmandu always suffered premonition of the worst that could unfold. For those aware, Kathmandu was and has been vulnerable to earthquake and after the 1890 Mega Quake it was due for another big one. The big one arrived when the 7.9M earthquake hit Nepal on April 25 to make the Kathmanduites realise that the compact settings in Ason were hysteric and the oldest homes in Bhaktapur were precarious.

The Great Quake proved the point that the centuries old heritage sites were brittle and the congested alleys across the city suffocating. Everyone knew but it needed a major force to ring changes. The scene of devastation within seconds of the massive jolt was vivid to the people in highland. To the eyes of those in high altitude suburbs like Nagarjun, Phulchowki or Kakani, Kathmandu had turned into a dust bowl and it will for a long time crawl with the crippled relics.

There were several anticipations that another deadly quake would turn the entire Kathmandu into rubbles and the casualties will exceed may be more than 100,000. It would leave Kathmandu with severe wounds that will take many years to heal. History suggests that even the developed cities required a bulk of time to recover from any widespread natural disaster. But Kathmandu bounced back and it took less than two months to get back on its feet.

The devastation was caused, Kathmandu lost almost 50 per cent of its heritage sites and it became the second worst-hit area after Sindhupalchowk in terms of casualties. The city alone lost close to 4000 lives and most of the areas, that were later revealed to be unsuitable for settlement and were above the quake wave, saw several buildings collapsed.

The effect of this national tragedy, one of the biggest ones that this generation has faced, still has a strong presence in the mind of us Nepalis. The newspapers ran banners with photographs occupying larger spaces and television channels broadcast unlimited live coverage but the scars would not remain long and forever. After almost six weeks, the stories on the colossal damage caused by the earthquake are slowly being replaced by headlines of other world affairs.

The tremblor has left us with lifeless bodies of people, we once loved, trapped under the ruins. It has left us as survivors whose hearts reel in fear of the aftershocks. But amid all this tragedy, the earthquake has also left us with amazing stories of solidarity, hope and resilience to bounce back. After the major shock, people in Kathmandu desperately looked for open spaces as the strong consistent aftershocks produced noticeable cracks in high rise buildings. While people whose houses collapsed were homeless by default, even others were forced to sleep under open skies. In absence of empty safe grounds, many families were further traumatized. But solidarity came in as a savior.

House owners with open spaces provided shelter for the neighbors they hadn’t known before and breaking bread with them over dinner. With almost the entire neighborhood in the same compound, people got to know each other like never before. The kids in the same neighborhood were finally the friends. It was a disaster that brought people together making them realize that compassion and togetherness heals all wounds.

Situations during a widespread during a natural disaster can further worsen when it invites social chaos as has been the case in the past where people run riot in the cities looting public and private properties. But Nepal was an exception. In the times of disaster, comfort of a safe ground surrounded by loved ones is tempting. But keeping the temptations at bay, thousands of Kathmanduites left their safe haven in aid.
Nepal should be happy to have people who responded impromptu to the disaster. A fine example was how those trapped alive under the iconic Dharahara were rescued timely and rushed to the hospital. Over a million left Kathmandu in fear of epidemic but it never gripped the capital because there were youths at disposal keeping the city clean.

While some got associated with various organisations working on quick relief, many went on to rescue their neighbours trapped under debris. People left their own families to transport relief materials to families they had never met before. There was desperation to volunteer in any means to lessen the damage. And this empathetic outburst is something out of ordinary. If that was the case with the volunteers, the professionals all over the country worked on their field of expertise selflessly.

Doctors and nurses treated the injured day in and day out regardless of their schedules, across all major hospitals. The injured were now their families. Army and police officers who lost their own homes worked across Nepal saving lives of millions. Media personnel who lost their office spaces came out to open grounds and continued broadcasting updates via television and radio shows. Journalists around the city personally went to risky areas to assess the condition at ground zero. The resilient nature of our people is a beacon of hope for the Nepalis who have lost faith on political leadership. This energy wasn’t only limited to formal intuitions though.

If one had taken a stroll down the major centres of the city, they would have noticed the didis (sisters) were still roasting corns next to the Pipalbot in Jawalakhel and the uncle was still making tea at his usual spot in Basantapur. Walking down the pavements of Basantapur might have been a struggle as the structures that had given you so many memories are now reduced to rubble.

At that moment, a cup of tea with a roasted cob of corn served in the everyday spot might have given a sense of normalcy to many. This applies to all the small retail shop owners who prioritized service over profit by selling materials at usual rates or even for free. The bus drivers, inside and outside the valley, showed great courage by providing service to their customers even when the risk of accidents were high. People from every walk of life proved that Nepalis have won over the quake and normalcy has returned.

Despite all the irrevocable damage, the people of the city have proved how a bit of selflessness, compassion and hope heal even the toughest of scars. When the ground beneath one’s feet isn’t steady, a hard fall is inevitable. Right now, Kathmandu is amidst ashes. But then again, that is where Phoenix rises from. Kathmandu is on a verge of bouncing back as we continue to show compassion, resilience and solidarity that beautifully surfaced on the light of this great tragedy.

Photos by Ojesh Singh.

Words by Kritika Lamsal.
Follow Kritika on Twitter @lamsalkritika

To read more from Kritika, please click here.