“For the first time, I was truly afraid.

‘Guruji,’ said Gaaz quite quietly – his face only inches from mine – ‘we’re gonna die. We are, aren’t we?’

He’s right, I thought. We probably are.

But then again—what are we?

We are GURKHAS!

‘KAPHAR HUNNU BHANDA MARNU RAMRO!’ I shouted.

‘KAPHAR HUNNU BHANDA MARNU RAMRO!’ Nagen yelled in reply.

‘KAPHAR HUNNU BHANDA MARNU RAMRO!’ Gaaz shouted at the top of his voice.

This is the Gurkha motto. ‘It is better to die than be a coward.”