For Motikala Oli, getting a replacement copy of her citizenship certificate was a routine government errand. She did not expect it to become a moment she would remember for the rest of her life.

Oli, from Tribeni Rural Municipality-7 in Rukum West, had damaged her original citizenship certificate after it was soaked in water. When she later needed the original document for official business, she had no choice but to apply for a duplicate.

So, early Wednesday morning, she travelled to the District Administration Office in the district headquarters with the documents needed to obtain a replacement.

There was an unexpected twist waiting for her.

The official responsible for issuing the citizenship certificate was her own son, Keshab Prasad Oli, who serves as assistant chief district officer at the office.

As the replacement certificate was being processed, Keshab picked up a red pen and signed his mother’s document.

For him, the moment was as surprising as it was satisfying. His mother’s old certificate had become unusable, and the need for a replacement happened to coincide with his posting as the official authorised to issue citizenship certificates.

“It was damaged after getting wet and could no longer be used,” Keshab said. “We had not really discussed getting a replacement. But on Tuesday afternoon, my mother told me she needed to get her citizenship certificate replaced, so I helped her arrange the documents from the ward office and elsewhere.”

That was when he realised he could be the one to sign it.

“Then I thought, ‘I could actually be the one signing my mother’s citizenship certificate,’” he said. “That made me incredibly happy.”

The moment became even more special when Motikala, carrying the newly prepared replacement certificate, walked into her son’s office for the final signature.

As an official, Keshab had signed hundreds of citizenship certificates during his year-long posting. But this one was different.

Under the section marked “official issuing the duplicate,” he wrote his name and signed the document in red ink. He then handed the certificate to his mother.

He also made sure to capture the moment on camera.

Keshab joined Nepal’s civil service as a section officer in 2018 and has served as assistant chief district officer of Rukum West for the past year. In that time, he has put his signature on hundreds of citizenship certificates.

But signing his mother’s is a moment he considers unique.

“I have signed hundreds of citizenship certificates during the past year, but getting the opportunity to sign my mother’s is a golden moment for me,” he said. “I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

Motikala already knew she would meet her son at the administration office. Keshab had told her that he worked at the chief district officer’s office, so seeing him there was hardly a surprise.

But she did not expect to find him on the other side of the counter, in the very office where citizenship certificates are issued.

Her pride and excitement were unmistakable.

“I was so happy to see that my son had become an official at the CDO’s office. Then he told me, ‘I’ll be the one signing your citizenship certificate.’ I was overjoyed. And in the end, he was the one who handed me the certificate.”