Resting her head gently in her mother's lap, Swarna lay quietly as she began sharing every precious moment she had spent in the city. She spoke fondly of the joy and affection she had received from her uncle, aunt, elder brother, and sister. Every memory seemed to glow in her words.
Maya lovingly stroked her daughter's hair and said softly,
"We missed you so much, my child. Now that your schooling is complete, there is a good college here in the village as well. You do not need to go back to the city anymore. Stay here with us, dear."
Hearing her mother's tender words, Suvarna found herself unable to tell her about the dream she had been quietly nurturing — the dream of going abroad for her studies. That night, without giving any reply, she slowly drifted off to sleep in her mother's embrace. Maya too held her daughter close all night and fell asleep beside her.
Early the next morning, Kumar and Maya woke up at dawn, while Swarna and Shiva slept a little longer. Moving carefully and making no sound, Maya gently woke Shiva, but she did not disturb Swarna, thinking perhaps her daughter was still deeply asleep.
When Suvarna finally woke up, she found breakfast lovingly prepared for her in the kitchen. Everyone was waiting, eager to sit together and eat with her.
As they sat around the breakfast table, Swarna thought to herself,
"Now I must finally tell Father and Mother the real reason I came here."
Gathering her courage, she slowly began to speak.
"Father, Mother, now it is time for me to begin college. All my friends have already started making plans about where they will study and what they will do next. So, I too have been thinking deeply about my future education."
After listening to her, Kumar gently asked,
"What plans have you made, my daughter? Tell us. We will help you as much as we can."
Then Swarna finally revealed her wish — she wanted to go abroad with Prashant and Prashna for further studies. She also shared what her uncle had said, that they did not have enough money to support the expenses.
After hearing this, Kumar sighed heavily and said,
"My child, our forefathers used to say one must measure their neck before choosing a necklace. Sending you there is only the beginning. Once you reach there, many more expenses may arise. My only income comes from this farming. I do not know how we will manage. There is also your brother at home; he too may wish to do something for his future. How can I provide for everything?"
Swarna's heart grew restless. Unable to calm her thoughts, she decided to call her uncle in the city and tell him everything that had happened. After a while, she went to her room and made the call.
After hearing everything from his niece, her uncle immediately called Kumar.
"Your daughter is very hardworking," he said earnestly. "If she goes abroad to study, she will become even more capable and accomplished. Please do not keep her here and gamble with her future. And what is money, after all? Money is only dust on the hands. Once they complete their studies, they will start earning. If we can spend today, it will surely come back tomorrow."
Hearing her brother's words, Maya too felt relieved, and she began persuading Kumar to let their daughter go abroad for her studies.
Kumar then asked Maya which country their daughter had in mind.
Swarna softly replied,
"Canada."
Kumar, filled with worry and sadness, said,
"All we have in the name of property is a little piece of land and this house. If we sell even this, what will become of us? In these expensive times, we may never be able to buy it back. If we sell the land, we will have to work for others. There will be no profit in that, and we may be left with nothing."
Maya gently responded,
"We must also honor the wishes of our children. If tomorrow they fail because we did not allow them to move forward, will we not regret it? They know our hardships very well. After all, they are our own children. We too are growing old now. If we can help both of them stand on their own feet somewhere, they will not have to suffer in the future. And we too can live with peace in our hearts."
Hearing Maya's heartfelt words, Kumar finally gave in.
"Alright," he said with a deep breath, "even if I must sell the land, I will send our daughter abroad for her studies. And I will also find a good place for our son to work. Even if they go far away, they will surely look after us and your mother in every way they can."
Saying this, he mentioned that he had some work outside and quietly left the house.
Maya then happily shared the good news with her daughter — her father had agreed to send her abroad.
Hearing this, Suvarna's heart filled with immense joy. Now it was certain — her dream of studying abroad was finally within reach.
Meanwhile, Kumar had gone out in search of money to make this possible. He went to seek help from his friend Harka Bahadur.
The very first thing Kumar asked him was,
"What kind of place is this Canada?"
Harka Bahadur laughed teasingly and replied,
"Well now, why are you suddenly interested in Canada today? Are you planning to send the children there, or are you planning to go yourself?"
Kumar frowned slightly and said,
"Stop joking, Harka. I am asking you seriously. Tell me honestly."
Harlan Bahadur then explained that his sister's son had gone there for higher education and that Canada was a wealthy and highly developed country. He added that the education system there was excellent.
"Your daughter has certainly not chosen a bad place," he said.
Then Kumar sincerely requested Hak Bahadur to help him sell his land.
Surprised, Hak Bahadur asked,
"What problem has come upon you that you need to sell such valuable land, Kumar?"
Kumar then revealed that he needed money to send his daughter Swarna abroad for her studies.
Hak Bahadur looked at him thoughtfully and said,
"You have a grown son at home. Why are you planning to send your daughter abroad instead of sending your son abroad for work?"