Achham, Sept. 25 -- In Achham, Dashain does not begin with rituals alone. It begins with a quiet anticipation that hums through village courtyards and resting spots, where people gather and ask the same question: Will your loved ones return from India for the festival?

India has long been the primary destination for youths in Achham seeking work. From New Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Dehradun, and Chandigarh to Shimla, Darjeeling, and Siliguri, they fill roles in construction sites, hotels, restaurants, shops, apartments, and corporate offices.

Some spend long hours in security uniforms, while others toil in the fields of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, producing rice, wheat, and vegetables.

The work is gruelling-low pay, long hours ...