As Kathmandu burns in protests, many citizens believe the information trickling out from the valley has been misinterpreted, with apprehensions still running high.
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned earlier on Tuesday, following the deaths of 19 people on Monday as protests rocked Nepal's capital.
Speaking to Stream, a Nepali journalist, under the condition of anonymity, said the crisis was unprecedented.
"Everything is on fire: the parliament, courts, the PM's office, the president's office and even the main administrative centre," the journalist said.
With no cabinet, prime minister or even president, there is total anarchism, they added.
Asked who was leading the protests, the journalist said it was hard to pinpoint at the moment.
"Although the protests were initially driven by Gen Z campaigners, they have since drawn in a mix of groups – monarchists, anti-federalists, disillusioned Maoists, dissidents from mainstream parties, and others.
"Nobody actually knows who they are."
What is, however, known is that casualties may still be mounting.
'Misunderstood protest'
Although located further away from the protests mainly centring Nepal's main Ring Road, the eight-lane highway encircling the cities of Kathmandu and Lalitpur, Rasmi Singh, a graduate of the Agriculture and Forestry University in Chitwan, said could still see plumes of smoke.
"What international media has gotten wrong is why the protests took place. It wasn't just social media. Bad governance and corruption fanned the flames. The ban was about taking away our fundamental rights to expression and information," she told Stream over phone.
She said the government must be held accountable. "They misuse taxes and they live wealthy lives doing so…that's the main thing."
Rasmi's sentiments are shared by many others.
Activists and experts have pointed out the growing perception that the families of the ruling elite enjoy lives of relative luxury in a nation rife with inequality.
Even on Nepali social media, the term "nepo kids" had been trending in the weeks leading up to the protests – with many sharing images and even videos of those living in the lap of luxury.
'Many parallels to Bangladesh'
"If I step out now, and someone claims I am affiliated to a political party, even I can be killed," Rasmi said in the phone conversation with Stream.
She said the last such major protests occurred when the monarchy was removed in Nepal, a little less than 20 years ago.
"Right now, there are reports that prisoners have escaped. No one can say what will happen in the next moment," she said.
The protests had now spread all over the country in less than 24 hours, which was "shocking", she added.
Rasmi also said the culture of retribution was running high – pointing out how the go-down of a top businessman and two media offices had been torched owing to their affiliations to top politicians.
"It's just like what I read in the initial days regarding Bangladesh's protest," she said. "However, I feel this is more violent.
"Everything is on fire. If anyone finds anyone affiliated with political parties or politicians or an individual known to be corrupted, their houses are being burned," she said.
On Oli's resignation, she said it wasn't enough.
"They killed very small children in only two or three hours. I don't know how to express this. The government must protect its citizens. PM KP Oli is a murderer. Resigning isn't the solution. He has to answer."
Foreign interference suspected
On 10 March this year, thousands of supporters gathered in Nepal's Kathmandu airport to greet former King Gyanendra Shah.
The hero's welcome for a man ousted through street protests in only 2006 was surprising to many.
As chants of "Long live our beloved king" and "vacate the royal throne for the king" reverberated through the capital's air, many claimed it was a conspiracy hatched abroad to destablise Nepal.
Speaking to Stream, a journalist on the condition of anonymity said geopolitics always played a role in such issues.
"Nepal is caught between two big nations – China and India. Of course there will be geopolitical tension and this is a big example of that."
The suspicion of foreign interference has also grown with how the protests played out.
Another journalist told Stream that he wouldn't speak about security forces.
"These protests really came out of the blue. While it started with Gen Z, there are many dissident groups in Nepal as is the case elsewhere in the world. But geopolitical interests are obviously very important," he said.
Eyes turn towards the next leader
Meanwhile, as Nepal looks for a new leader, positioning himself at the forefront appears to be Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, with online campaigns encouraging him to take the lead as the next prime minister.
He has, however, not officially given a statement.
But many Nepalis believe he can stop the protest as the Gen Z believe in him.
The rapper-turned-politician had voiced his support for demonstrators in a Facebook post earlier.
"The rally is clearly a spontaneous movement of Gen-Z, for whom even I may seem old," he wrote. "I want to understand their aspirations, objectives and thinking. Political parties, leaders, activists, lawmakers and campaigners should not be oversmart to use this rally for their own interests."
Meanwhile, Rasmi said, nothing can be predicted. "We don't know what can happen even in the next moment."
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