3 July 2025
Bharatpur, Chitwan
Wednesday noon, Rosni Bhujel sat stunned in front of the operation theater at Chitwan Medical College (CMC) Teaching Hospital. Her face was tired, and her eyes were dull. Inside the operation theater, her husband was undergoing surgery on his right leg. Her mind was restless and filled with anxiety.
Ashok Mahato, 27, from Ganganagar-13, Bharatpur Metropolitan City, lay on a hospital bed—having lost his right leg. Rosni, who herself is pregnant, was running back and forth between the hospital and home with a heavy heart. Their two-year-old son goes to school, but when asked where his father is, Rosni’s heart breaks.
Their lives turned upside down suddenly on the evening of Ashad 13. Ashok, along with his brother Ekraj Mahto, friend Santosh, and another elder brother, had gone towards the Rapti River from their small neighborhood in Ganganagar-13, Bharatpur. There was no work, it was the rainy season, and they needed to find something to feed their families. They went to look for vegetables and fish. They hoped to find something small in the river to cover some household expenses.
While returning in the evening after arranging some household expenses, Ashok was at the front. As they crossed the river, flowing muddy due to the rains, suddenly Ashok shouted, “Hey Santosh! A crocodile bit me,” recalls his brother Ekraj. That moment marked the beginning of a terrifying struggle. The brothers and friends tried to fend off the crocodile with sticks, stones, and whatever they could find. But the crocodile wouldn’t let go. After a long time, the crocodile finally released Ashok’s leg—but it was just skin hanging, with no flesh or veins left. It was in tatters. “When my brother said the crocodile took his leg, we were even more scared and couldn’t hold back tears,” Ekraj’s voice still trembles.
They tied Ashok’s leg with cloth and brought him to a nearby tractor ferry point. Ekraj ran barefoot all night to get help from the village. That night, there was no sleep or peace for them. Though Ashok was brought to Bharatpur Hospital at midnight, they were told treatment was not possible there, so they rushed him to Chitwan Medical College. Ashok underwent surgery at CMC, but his right leg could not be saved and was amputated. Ekraj says Ashok has had three surgeries so far. Ekraj, waiting anxiously outside the operation theater, is worried about his brother’s condition. He says, “Sometimes, when there was no work, we used to go fishing. We hoped to earn a little money to support the family. But this time, when we returned, my brother’s leg was gone.”
Ashok was the main breadwinner of the family. Now, the family is facing hardship. Rosni is worried about how to pay the hospital bills. She says, “We have received some support from relatives, but the pain remains. The medicine expenses keep adding up. How will we manage now?”
After her husband became disabled, Rosni’s heart grew heavier. With tear-filled eyes, she still looks at the operation theater door. “It is painful, and we need financial help for treatment,” she says.
So far, more than one hundred thousand rupees have been spent. Although they have insurance, it does not cover all expenses. Some organizations have provided some assistance, but the growing hospital bills and the uncertain future frighten Rosni.
The pain from the wound is immense for Ashok, but Rosni suffers even more from financial distress. On one hand, her husband, who supported the family, is now incapacitated, and on the other, she faces the huge burden of treatment and supporting the family afterward. If kind-hearted people could help Rosni and Ashok in their suffering, there would be no greater religion than humanitarian service.
