RAMECHHAP: Roshan Giri was six years old in 2003 when his father Pushpa Kumar Giri was abducted by the state. Roshan has a fading memory about his father and still hopes that he will return.

Thirteen year old Anup Tiwari does not recall his father's face. Dandu Tiwari joined the Maoists and went underground before Anup was born. He used to visit them sometimes in the dark hours before he was arrested in February 1999 by the police in Lalitpur. He has not been seen since. Although the family has lost hope of seeing him alive, they still want to know what happened to him.

Many families in Ramechhap district have similar stories to tell. The grown up children ask questions about their parents, but neither the families nor the state has any answers. Pushpa Kumar's wife Bhakta Kumari laments, "What do I say to my children? During the festivals they see other children playing with their father. How do I console them?"

During the conflict, 25 people in this district went missing leaving 38 children below the age of 18, who still wait for their return.