Nepalgunj, Sept. 17 -- His grandmother, a heart patient, has not been told that Ayush is dead. She still waits, believing he will return. The crowd of relatives and neighbours surprises her. In a house rarely visited, the sudden flurry of activity has raised her suspicions.

Seventy-year-old grandfather Top Bahadur Thapa knows the truth but struggles to accept it. The grandson he raised in his arms is gone. Though his eyes are wet, his mind is restless. He waits for Ayush's body, meeting relatives as they arrive.

Ayush Thapa's life ended at 19. The only son of his family in Dhamboji, ward 1 of Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City, he was a beloved grandson. His elder sister is married.

He completed his Secondary Education Examination from An...