Nepal's capital on Saturday took a step back towards normality after deadly anti-corruption protests, as daily life returned with a curfew eased and an interim prime minister sworn into office.
Soldiers scaled back their presence on the streets, where they had been deployed in large numbers since Wednesday after violent demonstrations toppled the government and left parliament in flames.
At least 51 people were killed in the worst unrest since the end of a decade-long civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.
On Friday evening, 73-year-old former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as interim leader, tasked with restoring order and addressing protesters' demands for a corruption-free future.
Parliament was later dissolved, elections set for March 5, 2026, and work to restore the government began.
By Saturday morning, the mood on the streets was calmer, with markets opening, traffic returning and families visiting temples.
- 'Satisfied today' -
For many Nepalis, Karki's appointment carried both symbolic weight and the promise of change.
"Nepal has got its first woman prime minister," said Suraj Bhattarai, 51, a social worker.
"We think that the prime minister -- our former chief justice -- will address Nepal's fight against corruption and take good governance forward."
The appointment of Karki, known for her independence, came after intense negotiations by army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel and President Ram Chandra Paudel, including with "Gen Z" representatives, the loose umbrella title of the youth protest movement.
Thousands of young activists had used the app Discord to debate the next steps -- and name Karki as their choice of next leader.
The new prime minster appeared to be widely welcomed as people sought to put the unrest behind them.
"The interim government decision is good for now,” said Durga Magar, 23, who works in a Kathmandu shop.
"The main issue for the people, especially young people, at this time is corruption," she said.
"It doesn't matter whether it is Gen Z, or anyone older in politics who tackles it -- it just needs to stop", she added.
Protests, which began Monday and escalated on Tuesday, fed into long-standing economic woes in Nepal.
A fifth of people aged 15-24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita standing at just $1,447.
"We don't know what will happen in the future now but we are satisfied today and hope it will not remain as tense ahead," Magar added.
- 'Musical chairs' -
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered his "best wishes" to Karki, adding that New Delhi was "firmly committed to the peace, progress and prosperity of the people of Nepal."
Huge challenges remain.
The protesters' hope of rooting out endemic corruption is no easy task, while in terms of security, more than 12,500 prisoners who escaped from jails during the chaos are on the run.
But for many, Karki's swearing-in marks a break from the revolving door of ageing prime ministers who fuelled public anger with endless political horse-trading.
KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old leader of the Communist Party, quit as prime minister on Tuesday, ending his fourth term in the post. His whereabouts are not known.
"They were playing a game of musical chairs," said Kathmandu businessman Shikhar Bajracharya, 32.
"There was no possibility for younger people to come into power."
Mourning Nepalis hope for change
Grieving families of those killed in Nepal's anti-corruption demonstrations say they hope the deaths will not be in vain, as the protesters' choice of interim prime minister took charge Saturday.
Among the dead was 30-year-old Santosh Bishwakarma, one of at least 51 people killed in two days of chaos this week -- the worst unrest since the end of a decade-long civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.
His widow Amika, also 30, her eyes swollen with grief, recalled his "ultimate dream" to "die having contributed to the nation".
Santosh was shot dead on Monday during the first wave of protests, led by the youth-driven "Gen Z" movement.
A temporary social media ban sparked the demonstrations, tipping longstanding frustration over entrenched corruption and economic malaise into wider anger.
"He used to say he wouldn't die like a dog," Amika told AFP in her modest Kathmandu home, clutching a framed photo of her late husband.
"His dream was to make Nepal known to the world -- and he did."
- 'Just equality' -
KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old leader of the Communist Party, quit as prime minister a day after Santosh's death and as protesters torched parliament, ending his fourth term in the post.
On Friday, former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn into office to lead a six-month transition to elections.
Thousands of young activists had used the app Discord to debate the next steps -- and name Karki as their choice of next leader.
But Amika, now raising her 10-year-old son Ujwal and seven-year-old daughter Sonia alone, fears for the future.
"My husband would have done everything to fulfil their dreams, even at the cost of his life," she said.
"But how am I supposed to manage everything on my own? He sacrificed his life for the country, and I hope the new government will help me."
Family friend Solan Rai, 42, said he believed the protests marked a turning point.
"I hope we finally see real change this time," he said, adding that the anger had been "more intense than anything we've seen before".
The World Bank says a "staggering" 82 percent of Nepal's workforce is in informal employment -- among the highest rates in the world.
Its GDP per capita stands at just $1,447.
At Kathmandu's Pashupatinath temple on Friday, hundreds gathered for mass cremations.
Families wept over the bodies of loved ones, including young men shot dead in the clashes.
"I hope there is some justice -- and our people finally get the change they so desperately seek," said Ratna Maharjan, grieving for her son, breaking down into tears.
One mother refused to release her son's body, wrapped in a shroud, clinging to him on the temple steps.
Nearby, police officers laid garlands of marigolds on their fallen colleague as a bugler played over the smoke-filled riverbank.
Amika's plea was simple.
"What we seek isn't too much to ask -- just equality," she said. "So the rich don't thrive while the poor languish."