It was 6 o'clock in the evening. Bhuwan's luxurious bungalow in Dillibazar was decorated with colourful lights. It was Bhuwan’s only son Rakesh’s eighth birthday.

All of Bhuwan’s friends and relatives had come and the mood was festive. The lawn behind the bungalow was decorated with gazebos and tents and there was a lavish buffet spread for the guests to indulge in.

Inside one of the halls was a huge multi-tiered cake. When all of the guests gathered in the hall, Bhuwan came and handed a huge gift to his son Rakesh, who hurriedly opened it.

"Daddy, why did you buy me these old-fashioned clothes as my birthday gift?” shouted Rakesh. “If you couldn't offer me the latest and the most expensive shoes and clothes, don’t give me anything.”

Rakesh’s disrespectful reaction took the guests by surprise. An embarrassed Bhuwan cajoled Rakesh into accepting the gift and promised him that he would take him shopping tomorrow. Bhuwan loved his son immensely and as a father, he did everything for him. It was evident to the guests who had gathered there that Rakesh was a spoilt child.

Most of what Rakesh rejected, from toys and shoes to clothes, got handed over to Ganesh, whose mother worked as a maid in the Bhuwan household. Ganesh lived with his parents in a makeshift shack provided by Bhuwan. Ganesh and Rakesh are of the same age. One day, Bhuwan saw the two boys playing together and pulled Ganesh aside and reprimanded him for playing with Rakesh. He told Ganesh that he was a servant’s son and that he was not worthy of playing with a millionaire’s son.

Bhuwan’s words hurt Ganesh immensely. This experience made Ganesh aware of how the society treated poor people.

Ganesh’s father told him not to take Bhuwan’s words to his heart.

“Education is your only way out of this poverty. Focus on your studies, son,” he told Ganesh.

Unlike Rakesh, Ganesh was a hardworking student. He went to a government school and Rakesh attended one of Kathmandu’s leading private schools. Rakesh would go to his school in his father’s SUV and Ganesh would walk to school wearing his worn out shoes.

On days when his parents didn’t have money, Ganesh would go to school without a tiffin yet he never complained about it to his parents. He was well aware of his parents’ financial state and knew that it was his responsibility to not give them extra burden. He was determined to study hard and get his parents out of poverty.

Rakesh on the other hand got everything he ever wanted. He led a comfortable life. His father bought him all the latest gadgets, took him on outings every weekend and during winter and summer breaks, the father and son would go abroad on holidays. Bhuwan, who was a politician, had enough money to spoil his son.

On most weekends, Ganesh would accompany his father, a daily wage labourer, to construction sites and work. Whatever money he made, he handed it to his father. When there was no work, Ganesh would go to a nearby playground and play with other kids. His active lifestyle made Ganesh physically fit and strong.

Despite all the challenges, Ganesh graduated school with flying colours. Right after he graduated, Ganesh’s father met with an accident at work. The accident severely damaged his spinal cord. He was rushed to a hospital where the doctors informed Ganesh that his father would have to undergo a surgery as soon as possible. Unable to afford treatment, Ganesh’s father passed away a few days later.

This left a deep impression on Ganesh’s mind. He made it his life’s mission to become a doctor and started working hard to achieve his goal. After finishing high school, Ganesh started preparing for MBBS.

His hard work paid off when he got a full scholarship to study MBBS at a reputed medical school in Dharan. He took his mother and went to live and study in Dharan. During his time there, Ganesh met many kind-hearted people who after learning his story helped him financially.

On the other hand, Rakesh, after finishing his high school, joined politics and became an active member of a political party’s student wing. His role there included organising protests and enforcing shutdowns. He was jailed many times. As years passed, Rakesh climbed the political ladder and eventually became a well-known figure in national politics.

One day Rakesh’s father Bhuwan became seriously ill. He was taken to Kathmandu’s leading hospital. The doctors there were unable to cure him. He spent the next few months visiting all the leading hospitals in Kathmandu but none of the doctors were able to help him. One of Bhuwan’s cousins suggested to Rakesh that he take his father to Dharan’s Ghopa Hospital.

Rakesh flew his father to Dharan and admitted him at Ghopa Hospital. After several days of staying in the hospital, Bhuwan gained consciousness and his health started improving. When he was well enough to walk, he requested to meet the doctor who had looked after him. When the doctor walked in inside the private cabin, Bhuwan immediately recognised that the doctor was none other than Ganesh. He suddenly remembered how he ill-treated Ganesh when he was a little boy. The realisation filled Bhuwan’s heart with guilt and he broke down in front of Ganesh and begged for his forgiveness.

Bhuwan profusely thanked Ganesh and told him that after all these years of praying to God, he found him in his former servant’s son.