Kathmandu: The temptation to meet the King and that too in “private” couldn’t be resisted by the two senior politicos of the country despite the fact that they both had tentatively agreed that they would not meet the monarch henceforth in private but instead as and when the former invited them all together.

What is most interesting of it all is that both Koirala and Madhav Nepal decided so a month back and the witnesses of it all were the rest of the leaders who claim that they were all in a chain against the “regressive” acts of the King and also against the “unconstitutional” government thus installed by the King a few months back.

Promises are made to break is what has come to true.

Despite their earlier avowal stated above, both Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala of the Nepali Congress and Madhav Nepal of the namesake communist party-the UML, met the King at the Royal Palace and “exchanged” views with each other.

Those who frequently meet the King say that Nepali Kings prefer to listen more from the personalities paying courtesy call on Him rather than expressing their personal or for that matter the internal views. If it were a tradition then what could be best guessed is that King Gyanendra apparently remained a silent listener than a personality who could have hinted the attending leaders about his future “schemes” and plans in steering the country. This means that only Koirala and Nepal ventilated their personal and very private feelings, which the King “attentively” listened.

What the Nepali politicians could have told to the King is any body’s guess.

For instance, Koirala, for one, is talked to have told the King that the country’s ailments could be managed if the monarch restored the now dissolved parliament. In effect this is what is the Congress under Girija’s stand. The King listened but made “no” comments on Girija’s million dollar proposal which is what said one of Girija’s aide to media men upon return from the Palace Monday evening.

The fact is that the King apparently is in no mood to oblige Girija for it is this personality who has been bringing heaven down the earth against the King and has gone to the extent in dubbing the King to have represented the forces who wish the existing system to collapse. The King perhaps is in knowledge of what Girija has been saying against him.

This means that Girija went to the Palace, ventilated his internal feelings and returned with a “hope” that the King would not deny his fervent “requests” made this time of the courtesy call.

A beaming Girija upon return expects that the King will act his way. Could be hoping against hope or might ponder over Girija’s proposal for the restoration of the parliament. But will the King do this which goes against the nation’s apex court’s verdict?

That the monarch only listened to Girija becomes clear from the duration of his stay in the Palace at the tête-à-tête. Newspapers differ about Girija’s stay inside the Palace. Some say it lasted for thirty minutes. Others say it went for about forty-five minutes.

Be that as it may, what is clear from the duration of Koirala in the Palace is that there could not be a sort of two-way dialogue in between the monarch and president Koirala. If that would have happened, at least president Koirala could have captured a bit of the monarch’s internal feelings. How sad!

But there is pleasing news for Koirala as analysts have been given to understand by one of his aides upon return from the Palace.

The King reportedly told Koirala to support him as he was one of the senior most political leader of the country.

If this is so then Koirala has reasons to rejoice. But would that be all for Koirala? Or the King would oblige? Remains to be seen after the monarch concludes his impending India trip.

To recall, Koirala, Madhav Nepal, Rohit and one more leader of the four party joint alliance had met at Koirala’s resident Monday mid-day. What was decided here was that those meeting the King would propose an all-party government and the instant dismissal of the Chand’s government. Koirala too promised.

However, Koirala pushed his own “parliament restoration” theory, which has already become his and his party’s one-point agenda.

Senior analysts say that the King might have invited Koirala to express his sincerity for the constitution and the system. The invitation to Koirala could also be a mode of keeping enraged politicians closer giving them the impression that their views, even negative ones, were being heard attentively.

It remains also to be seen how Koirala makes statements upon his return from the Palace.