The Endless Wait: Metaphor of a People's Longing for Identity

The novel hovers around the political movement of Gorkhaland spearheaded by Subash Ghising in 1986 in the Darjeeling-Kalimpong hills. The movement was streamlined to demand a separate state for Gorkhas within the political periphery of the Indian framework. The central character in the story is Ramdhoj, a retired armyman, and widower who lives with his son in Mandal Gaon, a small farming village three hours away from Kalimpong. His two daughters had married, and he lives with his son Pasang, a gentle lad who loves his family very much. Sandeep, the son of the local blacksmith is discriminated against by Dilay, a no-good ruffian who is attracted to Birmit, Sandeep’s friend. Subash Ghising, the leader of the movement for Gorkhaland delivers a fiery speech in Kalimpong and urges party members to set the Indo-Nepal Treaty on fire. A young boy called Pemba has fled Nepal after having been caught fornicating with the wife of an armyman. He had passed lewd comments when Jethi, Pasang’s elder sister comes to the village shop and Pasang comes looking for him later in the day and warns him to lay off his sister. Pemba flees the village with Mandalni’s ornaments. He teams up with his old roommate Lhakpa who asks him to join the GVC. Pasang is abducted by Pemba and his men. He is taken to the GVC camp and tortured. Pemba humiliates him in front of everybody saying Pasang was the one who stopped him from having sex with his sister. That night Pasang is helped to escape by one of the men who take pity on him. Pasang goes home one night to collect his khukuri, a change of clothes, and money.