Shreya Khatri, 26, (name changed) was born into a middle-class family in Nepal. This Nepali woman had gone to Dubai immediately after the 2015 earthquake. She returned home within two years after getting the news that her father was ill. But, not everything went as planned. She did not get the salary she was promised.

Yet, that could not crumble her hope and she continued her journey with new hope, a dream of Europe. But, little did she know it was also the beginning of another sad chapter of her life. She had to make a new journey. She was prepared for the perilous trip from Turkey to France via Greece, Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy. She was mentally prepared for the months-long walk through the jungles.

To move beyond Greece, one had to rely on Pakistani or Afghan agents. Luckily, Khatri got to meet fellow Nepali,  Abhishek KC, 27, in Greece (the name used in the refugee camps, but he has another name mentioned in his passport). He used to bring and take people from Greece to Bosnia. As an agent, KC often helped Bangladeshis move from one place to another.“Trusting his words, I continued on the journey calmly,” says Khatri.

By that time, KC had left Khatri and returned to Greece with a promise to return to her soon. She says, “He took all the money I had, saying he had to bring people to Bosnia. ” That became their last meeting. Then, he did not come to see her although they remained in contact via phone.

A relationship against her will and the child growing in her womb, all made her worried.  Finally, she gave birth to a daughter on July 2, 2021. Strange place, settlement in a camp, on top of that, she was alone in the hospital. The doctors themselves named the daughter. The maternity state,  the newborn baby, the refugee camp, and then an unending wait for KC made her even more anxious.

She travelled from Bosnia to Italy with the help of an Afghan family. It took two months. She arrived in Italy in the second week of October last month, carrying a baby on her back, crossing the jungle, enduring rain and winter for two long months.Not only Khatri’s family, but KC’s family are also aware of all these happenings, says KC. It took 13 months for her to travel from Turkey to Italy. She was single when she started this journey. Now, she has her daughter and has taken refuge in a camp in Italy.