by Dr. ND Lama
A few weeks ago, I was attending a wedding when I received a WhatsApp message from a principal friend.
The message said:
“I urgently need 30,000. I’ll return it tomorrow.”
There was a QR code attached.
Without asking a single question, I transferred the amount.
Ten minutes later, another QR code came.
That is when my suspicion woke up. I stepped outside the wedding hall and called him.
His voice came in low and embarrassed:
“ND sir… my account has been hacked.”
At that moment, my 30,000 had already flown away like a bird that doesn’t know its way back.
Searching for Justice — and Realizing Its Cost
Not wanting to give up too quickly, I tried to find out where to file a cyber complaint.
One of our parents is an inspector who works in investigations, so I called him too.
He said, “You need to file the complaint in person at Kamalpokhari. You can email the details, but you yourself must be present.”
I thought for a moment.
Stand in a line?
Fill out a stack of papers?
Run after officers for a stamp?
Spend four to five hours of my day?
All for the possibility of getting my 30,000 back?
I suddenly felt that losing the money was cheaper than losing my time.
So I decided to let it go.
A Country That Does Not Know the Value of Time
This small incident reminded me of a deeper problem in Nepal.
We are a nation that does not know how to use time.
We remain poor not because we lack talent or resources, but because we waste hours on things that produce nothing.
People want big salaries for two hours of work.
Everyone wants “enjoyment,” but no one wants efficiency.
Just this week:
- A friend invited me for a meat-roasting dinner. I didn’t go.
- An office where I serve called me to a restaurant. I didn’t go.
- A board that I sit on invited me for another restaurant meal. Again, I didn’t go.
Why?
Because I am turning 50.
If I am healthy, I might have 20 good working years left.
I don’t need to waste energy on hotel food to feel alive.
For me, real joy is:
- creating jobs
- saving time
- building useful things
- contributing to Nepal’s progress
If I want to eat something special, I can cook it myself.
I don’t need a restaurant to feel important.
Even for my funeral, I plan to organize my own expenses.
Life is simpler that way.
The Cooperatives and the Rs. 32 Lakh Lesson
Our cooperative, Laligurans Multi-Purpose, claims Rs. 32 lakh is missing.
Even for that, I do not want to waste my entire life running after it.
I go to meetings only to encourage other victims, but I do not want to lose years chasing something I can earn again.
Money can be earned.
Time cannot.
The Real Message: Nepal Must Learn to Save Time
If Nepalis learn to value time:
- we will be richer,
- our systems will be faster,
- our offices will be cleaner,
- our young people will be more productive.
Time is the greatest resource.
It is more precious than gold, more expensive than land, and more limited than fuel.
The Rs. 30,000 I lost will return someday.
The Rs. 32 lakh can be earned again.
But one minute wasted will never come back.
Dear friends,
let us build a Nepal where time is respected—
where we work fast, work smart, and work with intention.
Because the day Nepal learns to use time well,
Nepal will become a prosperous nation.
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