Nepal, July 19 -- The afterlife is a trap, evoking all sorts of conflicting emotions. You feel liberated one moment, only to feel suffocated the next. Being a ghost is so miserable that I begin to wonder whether life in Nepal was less painful and more predictable.

I had a forgettable life with no extraordinary moments to look back on with a smile. You wouldn't want to recall being gunned down while protesting the government. That's how it went with me-the poor student from the hinterlands whose ambitions didn't extend beyond the dreams of an ordinary man. My journey to Kathmandu was driven by the quest for a better education that would eventually land me a modest job.

I never dreamt of becoming a hero. On September 8, I joined the prote...