ANTA FOR THE PRESIDENT आन्टा राष्ट्रपतिको उम्मेदवार

 ANTA FOR THE PRESIDENT

Anta had three problems in life. He overthought everything, trusted too easily, and had absolutely no experience in politics.

Unfortunately, the third problem was about to become everyone's problem.

Anta lived beneath an old mango tree. Life in the colony was always busy for some reason. Somebody was carrying food, somebody was digging a tunnel, and somebody was complaining that the others weren't doing enough. Anta never quite understood how everyone had so much work. Even on days when he had plenty to do, he somehow ended up watching a bird for ten minutes. Nobody had hired him to watch birds, obviously, but he did it anyway.

He wondered if birds ever got tired of flying. Imagine having wings and still having to find food every day. And what happened when they wanted to rest? Did they have favourite branches? Did they fight over them? Did one bird ever tell another, I've been sitting here for ages. Can't you find your own branch?

Anta smiled at the thought.

Then he wondered if birds ever watched ants and found them interesting.

He hoped they did. He wondered if birds ever noticed ants, too. Did they ever stop on a branch and watch an ant carrying a crumb, just as he stopped to watch them? He hoped they did. It would be nice to know that, somewhere up in the trees, a bird had once paused its busy day to wonder about an ant about Anta himself.

Anyway, he had work to finish.

His brother, Anteena, often complained that Anta thought too much. Anta thought Anteena should try thinking a little more. They had been having this argument for so long that even their mother probably couldn't remember how it started.

Their mother usually settled things by giving them both something to carry. It was her way of saying, If you have enough energy to argue, you have enough energy to work.

Anta suspected she was right, which was annoying.

He loved his family, though. Even when they irritated him, he liked knowing they were somewhere nearby. His mother always saved him a little food, even when she pretended she hadn't. Anteena would tease him all morning and still come looking for him if he was late returning home.

Anta never told him that he liked this.

Brothers were difficult enough without giving them extra reasons to be unbearable.

That morning, the colony received some news.

The president was resigning.

Now, the president's job was not an easy one. Someone had to make decisions about food storage, tunnel repairs, and preparations for the coming rains. If things went wrong, the entire colony suffered. A poorly planned tunnel could flood hundreds of homes. A badly managed food store could leave little ones hungry when food became scarce.

So, naturally, everyone had an opinion about who should replace him.

Some wanted an experienced leader. Others wanted someone with new ideas. A few simply wanted someone who would finally repair the eastern tunnel.

Anta found this last group particularly interesting.

The eastern tunnel had been broken for ages. Everyone knew about it. Everyone complained about it. Yet somehow, it remained broken.

Anta wondered if problems sometimes survived simply because everyone had become too comfortable complaining about them.

It was a rather inconvenient thought. He had been planning to complain about the tunnel himself.

Anta had no opinion about the election. He had never even attended a complete colony meeting. The last time he had gone to one, he had left halfway through because a beetle had rolled past the entrance.

In his defence, it was a very large beetle.

By evening, the colony was buzzing with rumours. Names were being discussed, old achievements were being remembered, and several ants had suddenly become very interested in the future.

Anta found it all rather strange.

Yesterday, everyone had been arguing about the eastern tunnel. Today, they were arguing about who should fix it.

He decided to stay out of it.

He had more important things to do, such as finding out why a perfectly good seed had been left alone near the entrance. Perhaps it was lost. Perhaps it was waiting for someone. Perhaps seeds had their own problems, too.

Anta picked it up and carried it inside.

He didn't know who had dropped it, but he do knew how it felt to be left behind. Once, he had been so busy watching the rain that the entire group had returned to the colony without him. He had spent a good while pretending he had meant to stay behind.

Nobody had believed him.

He still thought it was a perfectly reasonable excuse.

That night, Anta slept most peacefully.

He dreamed about flying. In the dream, he had wings, the wind was kind, and nobody had given him any work to finish. It was a wonderful dream, though he couldn't remember how it ended anymore.

Some dreams do disappear as soon as we wake up. Perhaps they have somewhere important to be, too.

The next morning, Anta woke to find a crowd gathered near the colony's noticeboard.

Something unusual had been written on a large piece of dry leaf.

Anta squeezed through the crowd, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was fairly certain the colony had not invented a new problem overnight, but one could never be too sure.

There, among the names of the candidates for the next president, was his own.

ANTA.

He stared at it.

Then he checked again, just in case another ant happened to have the same name.

There was no mistake.

Anta had been nominated for president.

He hadn't nominated himself. He hadn't asked anyone to nominate him. He hadn't even known the nominations were open.

He looked around at the other ants. Some seemed surprised. Others were whispering. One was looking at him with an expression Anta couldn't quite understand.

He wished someone would explain what was happening.

And beneath his name, in handwriting he recognised immediately, was the signature of the current president.

Anta read it once.

Then again.

Why would the president choose Anta?

(translated the entire story into Nepali using AI) ENJOY NEPALI WRITING TOO..

आन्टा राष्ट्रपतिको उम्मेदवार

आन्टाका जीवनमा तीनवटा समस्या थिए। ऊ हरेक कुराबारे धेरै सोच्थ्यो, अरूलाई सजिलै विश्वास गर्थ्यो, र राजनीतिबारे उसलाई रत्तिभर अनुभव थिएन।

दुर्भाग्यवश, तेस्रो समस्या अब सबैको समस्या बन्नेवाला थियो।

आन्टा एउटा पुरानो आँपको रूखमुनि बस्थ्यो। उसको कमिलाको बस्तीमा सधैँ कुनै न कुनै काम भइरहन्थ्यो। कोही खानेकुरा बोकेर हिँडिरहेको हुन्थ्यो, कोही सुरुङ खनिरहेको हुन्थ्यो, अनि कोही अरूले पर्याप्त काम नगरेको भन्दै गुनासो गरिरहेको हुन्थ्यो। सबैसँग यति धेरै काम कसरी हुन्छ, आन्टाले कहिल्यै बुझ्न सकेन। आफूले गर्नुपर्ने काम प्रशस्तै भएका दिनमा पनि ऊ कुनै चरालाई दस मिनेटसम्म हेरिरहेको हुन्थ्यो। चराहरू हेर्ने काम कसैले उसलाई दिएको थिएन, पक्कै पनि। तर ऊ त्यसै गर्थ्यो।

ऊ सोच्थ्यो, चराहरूलाई पनि उड्दाउड्दै थकाइ लाग्छ होला कि नाइँ? कल्पना गर त, पखेटा भएर पनि हरेक दिन खानेकुरा खोज्नुपर्ने! अनि आराम गर्न मन लाग्दा के गर्थे होलान्? के उनीहरूका पनि मनपर्ने हाँगाहरू हुन्थे? के ती हाँगाका लागि झगडा गर्थे? के कुनै चराले अर्को चरालाई कहिल्यै यसो भनेको होला— म यति बेरदेखि यहाँ बसिरहेको छु। तिमीलाई आफ्नै हाँगा भेट्टाउन सक्दैनौ?

यो कल्पना गरेर आन्टा मुस्कुरायो।

त्यसपछि उसले सोच्यो, चराहरूले पनि कमिलाहरूलाई याद गर्थे होलान् त? कतै कुनै चरा हाँगामा बसेर तल हेरिरहेको बेला, आन्टाले चराहरूलाई हेरेजस्तै कुनै कमिलालाई हेरिरहेको त हुँदैनथ्यो? सायद उसले पनि एउटा कमिलाले टुक्रुक्क खानेकुरा बोकेर हिँडिरहेको देख्थ्यो र मनमनै सोच्थ्यो होला— यो सानो जीव कहाँ जाँदै होला?

आन्टालाई यस्तो कल्पना गर्दा रमाइलो लाग्यो। आखिर यो संसारमा कति धेरै साना-साना जीवनहरू थिए, सबै आ-आफ्नै काममा व्यस्त। कहिलेकाहीँ त सोच्न मन लाग्थ्यो, एकअर्कालाई नचिन्ने ती जीवहरू पनि कति अनौठो तरिकाले एउटै संसार बाँडिरहेका थिए।

जे होस्, उसले आफ्नो काम पूरा गर्नु थियो।

उसको भाइ, आन्टिना, प्रायः आन्टाले धेरै सोच्छ भनेर गुनासो गर्थ्यो। आन्टाको विचारमा भने आन्टिनाले अलिकति बढी सोच्ने प्रयास गर्नुपर्थ्यो। उनीहरूबीच यो बहस यति लामो समयदेखि चलिरहेको थियो कि सायद आमालाई समेत यसको सुरुवात कसरी भएको थियो भन्ने याद थिएन।

आमा प्रायः उनीहरू दुवैलाई केही न केही बोक्न दिएर झगडा टुङ्ग्याउँथिन्। उनको तरिका यस्तो थियो— झगडा गर्ने जति शक्ति छ भने काम गर्ने शक्ति पनि पक्कै होला।

आन्टालाई लाग्थ्यो, आमा सही थिइन्। र यो कुरा स्वीकार्न उसलाई अलि चित्त दुख्थ्यो।

तर ऊ आफ्नो परिवारलाई माया गर्थ्यो। उनीहरूले उसलाई दिक्क बनाए पनि, उनीहरू कतै नजिकै छन् भन्ने थाहा पाउँदा उसलाई राम्रो लाग्थ्यो। आमा सधैँ उसका लागि अलिकति खानेकुरा छुट्याएर राख्थिन्, आफूले केही नगरेको जस्तो नाटक गर्दै। आन्टिना भने बिहानभरि उसलाई जिस्क्याउँथ्यो, तर ऊ घर फर्किन ढिलो भयो भने खोज्न पनि निस्कन्थ्यो।

आन्टाले उसलाई यो कुरा कहिल्यै भनेन।

दाजुभाइलाई सहनै गाह्रो हुन्छ, त्यसमाथि उनीहरूलाई असह्य हुने थप कारण किन दिनु?

त्यो बिहान बस्तीमा एउटा खबर आयो।

राष्ट्रपतिले पद छोड्दै थिए।

राष्ट्रपतिको काम सजिलो थिएन। खानेकुरा भण्डारण गर्ने, सुरुङ मर्मत गर्ने र आउँदै गरेको वर्षाका लागि तयारी गर्ने जस्ता निर्णय कसैले लिनुपर्थ्यो। केही बिग्रियो भने त्यसको असर पूरै बस्तीलाई पर्थ्यो। सुरुङको योजना राम्रो भएन भने सयौँ कमिलाका घर डुब्न सक्थे। खानेकुराको भण्डारण राम्रोसँग व्यवस्थापन भएन भने खानेकुराको अभाव हुने समयमा साना कमिलाहरू भोकै बस्न सक्थे।

त्यसैले, नयाँ राष्ट्रपति को हुनुपर्छ भन्नेबारे सबैको आ-आफ्नै विचार थियो।

कोही अनुभवी नेता चाहन्थे। कोही नयाँ विचार भएको कमिला खोजिरहेका थिए। अनि केही कमिलाहरू त पूर्वतिरको सुरुङ अन्ततः कसैले मर्मत गरिदिए हुन्थ्यो भन्ने चाहन्थे।

आन्टालाई यो अन्तिम समूह निकै रोचक लाग्यो।

पूर्वतिरको सुरुङ धेरै समयदेखि बिग्रिएको थियो। सबैलाई यसबारे थाहा थियो। सबैले गुनासो गर्थे। तर अचम्मको कुरा, त्यो अझै बिग्रिएकै थियो।

आन्टाले सोच्यो—कहिलेकाहीँ समस्याहरू यसकारण पनि बाँकी रहन्छन् कि सबैलाई तिनको समाधान खोज्नुभन्दा गुनासो गरिरहनै बानी परिसकेको हुन्छ।

यो सोच अलि अप्ठ्यारो थियो। किनकि उसले पनि त्यो सुरुङबारे गुनासो गर्ने योजना बनाएको थियो।

चुनावबारे आन्टाको कुनै विचार थिएन। ऊ कमिलाहरूको एउटा बैठक पनि पूरा बसेको थिएन। अन्तिमपटक ऊ बैठकमा गएको बेला, बीचमै एउटा ठूलो खपटे कीरा लड्दै-गुड्दै गएको देखेर बाहिर निस्किएको थियो।

उसको बचाउमा भन्नुपर्दा, त्यो साँच्चै निकै ठूलो खपटे कीरा थियो।

साँझ पर्दासम्म बस्तीमा हल्लाहरू फैलिन थाले। कसको नाम उम्मेदवारका रूपमा उठाउने भन्ने चर्चा चलिरहेको थियो, पुराना उपलब्धिहरू सम्झिइँदै थिए, अनि केही कमिलाहरू अचानक बस्तीको भविष्यप्रति निकै चिन्तित देखिन थालेका थिए।

आन्टालाई यो सबै अलि अनौठो लाग्यो।

हिजोसम्म सबै पूर्वतिरको सुरुङबारे झगडा गरिरहेका थिए। आज भने त्यो सुरुङ मर्मत कसले गर्ने भनेर झगडा गरिरहेका थिए।

उसले यसबाट टाढै बस्ने निर्णय गर्‍यो।

उसका अगाडि अझै महत्त्वपूर्ण कामहरू थिए। जस्तै, प्रवेशद्वारनजिकै कसैले छोडेर गएको एउटा राम्रो बीउ किन त्यत्तिकै परेको थियो भनेर पत्ता लगाउनु। सायद त्यो हराएको थियो। सायद कसैलाई पर्खिरहेको थियो। सायद बीउहरूका पनि आफ्नै समस्याहरू हुन्थे।

आन्टाले त्यो बीउ उठायो र भित्र लग्यो।

त्यो कसले खसालेको थियो भन्ने उसलाई थाहा थिएन, तर पछाडि छुट्नु कस्तो हुन्छ भन्ने उसलाई थाहा थियो। एकपटक ऊ वर्षा हेरिरहेको यति व्यस्त भएको थियो कि अरू सबै कमिला बस्तीमा फर्किसकेका थिए। आफूलाई त्यहाँ छुटाइएको कुरा उसले केही बेरसम्म लुकाउन खोज्यो। ऊ त जानाजानी त्यहाँ बसेको थियो रे!

कसैले उसको कुरा पत्याएन।

तर आजसम्म पनि उसलाई आफ्नो बहाना बिल्कुलै उचित लाग्थ्यो।

त्यो रात आन्टा ढुक्कसँग सुत्यो।

उसले उडिरहेको सपना देख्यो। सपनामा उसका पखेटा थिए, हावा पनि उसकै पक्षमा थियो, अनि कसैले पनि उसलाई कुनै काम पूरा गर्न भनेको थिएन। सपना निकै राम्रो थियो, तर त्यसको अन्त्यमा के भएको थियो भन्ने कुरा उसले सम्झन सकेन।

केही सपनाहरू बिउँझिनेबित्तिकै हराउँछन्। सायद तिनीहरूलाई पनि कतै जान हतार हुन्छ।

भोलिपल्ट बिहान आन्टा उठ्दा बस्तीको सूचनापाटीनजिकै कमिलाहरूको भीड लागेको थियो।

सुक्खा पातको एउटा ठूलो टुक्रामा केही असामान्य कुरा लेखिएको थियो।

आन्टा निद्रा मेट्दै भीडको बीचबाट अगाडि बढ्यो। उसलाई लाग्थ्यो, रातारात बस्तीले कुनै नयाँ समस्या आविष्कार गरेको त पक्कै थिएन। तर सावधानी अपनाउनु नराम्रो कहाँ हो र!

त्यहाँ, नयाँ राष्ट्रपतिका उम्मेदवारहरूको नामबीच, उसले आफ्नै नाम देख्यो।

आन्टा।

ऊ एकटक हेरिरह्यो।

त्यसपछि फेरि जाँच्यो, कतै यही नाम भएको अर्को कमिला पो छ कि भनेर।

तर गल्ती थिएन।

आन्टा राष्ट्रपतिको उम्मेदवार बनेको थियो।

उसले आफ्नो नाम आफैँ दिएको थिएन। कसैलाई आफ्नो नाम प्रस्ताव गर्न भनेको पनि थिएन। उम्मेदवारी दर्ता खुलिसकेको थियो भन्ने कुरासमेत उसलाई थाहा थिएन।

उसले वरपरका कमिलाहरूलाई हेर्‍यो। केही अचम्ममा परेका देखिन्थे। केही आपसमा खासखुस गरिरहेका थिए। एउटा कमिलाले त यस्तो भावले उसलाई हेरिरहेको थियो, जुन आन्टाले ठम्याउनै सकेन।

उसलाई कसैले के भइरहेको छ भनेर बुझाइदिए हुन्थ्यो जस्तो लाग्यो।

अनि उसको नामको ठीक तल, उसले तुरुन्तै चिन्न सक्ने हस्ताक्षर थियो।

वर्तमान राष्ट्रपतिको हस्ताक्षर।

आन्टाले त्यो एकपटक पढ्यो।

त्यसपछि फेरि पढ्यो।

राष्ट्रपतिले आन्टालाई नै किन रोजे?