Owing to the lack of petrol, I didn’t ply my motorbike on road for three days. Long queues outside only a few petrol pumps for many hundred meters obliged me to use the public transportation. Owing to the protests in southern terai, Kathmandu is plagued by fuel shortage since last two weeks. However, yesterday, I had to visit three places and thought to get some petrol for motorbike so that it would avoid the burden of delay and other hazards of public transportation. And I called the nearest …

…petrol pumps. All of them replied negative. Thus I rushed to a petrol pump run by Nepal Police at Naxal. I was astounded to see the queues but left with no option, I stood on the queue at 2 p.m.

I was happy that the queue was moving fast. After a few minutes, I was sure to miss the first program but catch another that was to begin at 5 p.m.. If I could fill the petrol by 4 p.m., I could easily catch it. Nearly 20 police personnel were deployed to manage the queues. As a few motorbikes filled the petrol and left the pump, others moved ahead. The mobikers in helmet looked like a calm sea flowing in slow motion. However, after half an hour a bad news hit our ears. Owing to the lack of current supply, the pump stopped distributing petrol. We were in dilemma whether to leave the queue or wait for a few hours. However, I was firm on refilling the petrol as my reserve was also sooner to be out. After half an hour again we got a good news that the current supply has resumed and the pump also resumed distribution. All of us took the breath of relief.

It continued for an hour. My motorbike meter showed that I pushed my motorbike for 200 meters in queue. It was 4 p.m. We had a good and a bad news simultaneously. Good news was that a tanker had just arrived with petrol and bad was that the distribution will come to halt unless the tanker is unloaded. I left my mobike on the queue and approached to ask how long the unload will take. They responded half an hour. Thus the distribution resumed at 4.30 again. By now I was sure that I was sure to miss the second appointment as well. I informed through my mobile (Thanks to my mobile service providers they haven’t obstructed service despite any protess).

I was beginning to worry about the third program. The police personnel deployed there were cautioning us that the regular load shedding will begin at 5 p.m.. I was more worried what if my turn doesn’t come by then? I was more worried because my wife was to join me in this third appointment as well. We were supposed to attend a dinner at one of her friend’s. It wasn’t sunny and darkness was falling even before five. That’s why she called me at 4.45. I told her the news. She took the promise from me that I will catch her at 5.45 at any cost and told her to be prepared. It was 4.50, there were still nearly 50 mobikes ahead of me. It was 4.55, I was quite far from the refilling place. And it was 5.00. I had lost the hope and prepared myself to wait till eight unless the load shedding is over. Thankfully, there was the best news for me that the Nepal Electricity authority (NEA) had changed routine and the current supply was regular for the time being. Finally, it was my turn at 5.30 p.m. After desperately waiting for three and half hours, I was able to fill 1.5 liters of petrol for a hundred rupees. It made me feel the sense of victory. We pleaded them to provide 3 liters of petrol, but to no avail. Whatever the quantity, it was sufficient to give me the knowledge that the fuel tank is not on reserve.

As soon as I succeeded on refilling, I rushed to home to catch my wife at home. However, upon reaching home, my wife gave me another bad news. Owing to load shedding, the schedules for dinner were cancelled. Thus my Wednesday this week was full of bad news. However, a very good news that I could refill some petrol on my mobike.