Soyak is a calm village that is quietly tucked away in the eastern fringes of Nepal. An unfamiliar name still, this picture perfect settlement is a three-hour bumpy ride from the cool green tea gardens of Kanyam and it sits right above the hills that surround the busy streets of Ilam bazaar.

This is not a touristic place, so if you somehow end up making your way here, you will learn that there are no lodges or hotels whatsoever. The only options available are either camping or asking the locals for shelter. Thankfully, the people of Soyak, largely from the Limbu community, are as warm and welcoming as the hues that paint the village.

While here, I learnt that I was there during the ‘off-season’ as the name derives from Limbu word ‘Soyak’ which literally translates to the land of tangerines. The soil in Soyak is very arable and fertile and hence, all of the almost 500 households here are involved in agriculture. The people here make a living by selling the produce to vendors in Ilam Bazaar.

Life in Soyak is self-sustainable and that’s probably why when you look at the locals here you sense this unhurriedness. People seem content with what they have. However, this might also be because the residents you come across are either old or too young to migrate in search of better opportunities. On spending a little more time here you can sense lamentation and desperation hanging heavy over the settlement. They seem to be waiting, unsure of what the wait is for.

This is a collection of photos of the people from this sleepy settlement.

You’ll never be as young or as old as you are today.

Who runs the world?

Life in reflections.

Waiting for company.

Blue is the warmest colour.

Pocketful of sunshine.

Happiness is a choice.

Done for the day yet?

Life is a show, we are all an audience.