Till date… I, every other day, realize & relive that day…. And I think many people must be doing the same…
A lovely afternoon (when after 6yrs we had cable connection to our 31 inch TV…and it happens to be the last day as well… because till date we don’t have cable connection after that day..) when people like me, unaware of foredooming nature’s wrath.. were watching TV or sleeping… or even working in their offices.. & worst for those still walking or driving outdoors….learnt the “power of water”.
In just an hour (at 3pm) of continuous downpour of rain… water followed the maxim “Little Drops of Water makes a Mighty Ocean” and An Ocean did it make!!!!…. And entered everybody’s building… and slowly & noiselessly in the house seeping down the mural boundaries.. Frantically.. everybody worked upon Darwin’s Principle.. and so did we..
Oops.. Friends if you haven’t still guessed the day… it was few days after my admission in the esteemed Seth G.S.Medical College in Occupational Therapy course.. (but planning to repeat CET… so didn’t fill in the Retention Form…as I wanted to be Forensic Medical Officer… so wanted to do MBBS…)…. the day was 26/7….the day that changed me and my life’s course and my life’s dreams…
We started sweeping clean the ground level shelves when rain water planned to be our guest… “Athithi devo bhave..” if not we… then definitely the guest would have…. Albeit it was useless stopping this mighty guest…we did try our best.. after we realized that it plans to stay over…and gulp down everything in sight..!!! Water speedily in other half an hour.... thank God we had two entrances to our house.. as the one near the bldg entrance wouldn’t bulge open as it opened against the water force..the other one at the extreme end of home.. opened in direction of water…indeed it did open but kicked us out of our house in cocktail of varied insects (dead/alive including cockroaches ), human manure products.. and anything which can be thought of.. So we were homeless, drenched and hungry had to swim over to main entrance of building..
Before getting kicked out.. the last look of our lovely home was something like this… in my room.. my bed with loads of load in and on the bed touched the ceiling.. TV toppled in the water along with the TV set.. my cupboard and my treasured books wet and floating.. Kitchen : washing machine and freeze were sleeping underwater.. with lots of food floating in water or swimming underwater.. Dispensary (of my dad) was messed up with many of medicines, daddy’s patient documentation files, our PC, deck.. everything in water… to add to all.. even my tears were eager to mix up with rain water..
From our neighbors house.. one at top floor.. I watched the whole area.. which was filled with water.. broken trees.. dead animals bodies floating off.. vehicles stranded.. and to my horror…. a dead woman’s body was flowing along with water… water started gulping down 1st floor residents.. and at 5pm …. It was dark as night.. and still no sign of mercy from nature… Neighbors, lovely ones… offered us fresh clothes .. hot water bath.. hot food.. and everything they could… but food and water was last thing on my mind.. I sat in balcony just praying God to forgive we human beings.. to stop rain.. but He was determined.. gulped down 1st floor completely.. now nothing could be seen.. no bldg walls.. just water ….water ..and rain water.. everywhere… it seemed to me that We were guest of the mighty Ocean… whole night it continued to rain… and me continued to watch it.. no sleep, no food.. no water…just a wish that it gets over… in result of which.. I was burning hot with fever…. But that too didn’t make me sleep.. because at that very moment was actually wishing nothing but……. My house back !!!!!
I couldn’t face my parents…. They built this lovely house only to see it getting washed away… !!!! and I decided to hell with my dreams… I am going to study occupational therapy …. Cant think of more expenses.. after such heartbreaking losses..
Next day at 7am water receded .. and we wanted to see our house.. but wooden doors were bloated shut.. we broke in !!! in our own house… only to see 3-4 inch thick mud and et al cocktail layer… everything on ground…broken down or sleeping…. God Daddy forbade me to enter in house.. so I went on to neighboring bldg… only to hear.. that an old man and his wife died in their house trapped with water as their door opened against water so couldn’t open…. I ran back to mom.. and dad.. I love them.. and that day I actually for the first time feared of death…
Post this… house was cleaned up.. which was easy.. a truck came and we threw everything out.. including my books.. keeping just important things.. my all certificates, documents.. wet and dirty.. few certificates beyond recognition were thrown.. my dear friends' gifted cards.. carom board.. my treasured paintings… drawing book.. albums ..everything thrown with heavy heart .. in day or so.. my home consisted of just 4 walls…. No beds or blankets.. no cloths only borrowed ones.. no food.. it was cleaned spic n span..
With that my past self was washed off …. With memories starting afresh with this day… and in past 5ys only this memory stands out… till date I miss my stuff which I threw away myself…
A lovely afternoon (when after 6yrs we had cable connection to our 31 inch TV…and it happens to be the last day as well… because till date we don’t have cable connection after that day..) when people like me, unaware of foredooming nature’s wrath.. were watching TV or sleeping… or even working in their offices.. & worst for those still walking or driving outdoors….learnt the “power of water”.
In just an hour (at 3pm) of continuous downpour of rain… water followed the maxim “Little Drops of Water makes a Mighty Ocean” and An Ocean did it make!!!!…. And entered everybody’s building… and slowly & noiselessly in the house seeping down the mural boundaries.. Frantically.. everybody worked upon Darwin’s Principle.. and so did we..
Oops.. Friends if you haven’t still guessed the day… it was few days after my admission in the esteemed Seth G.S.Medical College in Occupational Therapy course.. (but planning to repeat CET… so didn’t fill in the Retention Form…as I wanted to be Forensic Medical Officer… so wanted to do MBBS…)…. the day was 26/7….the day that changed me and my life’s course and my life’s dreams…
We started sweeping clean the ground level shelves when rain water planned to be our guest… “Athithi devo bhave..” if not we… then definitely the guest would have…. Albeit it was useless stopping this mighty guest…we did try our best.. after we realized that it plans to stay over…and gulp down everything in sight..!!! Water speedily in other half an hour.... thank God we had two entrances to our house.. as the one near the bldg entrance wouldn’t bulge open as it opened against the water force..the other one at the extreme end of home.. opened in direction of water…indeed it did open but kicked us out of our house in cocktail of varied insects (dead/alive including cockroaches ), human manure products.. and anything which can be thought of.. So we were homeless, drenched and hungry had to swim over to main entrance of building..
Before getting kicked out.. the last look of our lovely home was something like this… in my room.. my bed with loads of load in and on the bed touched the ceiling.. TV toppled in the water along with the TV set.. my cupboard and my treasured books wet and floating.. Kitchen : washing machine and freeze were sleeping underwater.. with lots of food floating in water or swimming underwater.. Dispensary (of my dad) was messed up with many of medicines, daddy’s patient documentation files, our PC, deck.. everything in water… to add to all.. even my tears were eager to mix up with rain water..
From our neighbors house.. one at top floor.. I watched the whole area.. which was filled with water.. broken trees.. dead animals bodies floating off.. vehicles stranded.. and to my horror…. a dead woman’s body was flowing along with water… water started gulping down 1st floor residents.. and at 5pm …. It was dark as night.. and still no sign of mercy from nature… Neighbors, lovely ones… offered us fresh clothes .. hot water bath.. hot food.. and everything they could… but food and water was last thing on my mind.. I sat in balcony just praying God to forgive we human beings.. to stop rain.. but He was determined.. gulped down 1st floor completely.. now nothing could be seen.. no bldg walls.. just water ….water ..and rain water.. everywhere… it seemed to me that We were guest of the mighty Ocean… whole night it continued to rain… and me continued to watch it.. no sleep, no food.. no water…just a wish that it gets over… in result of which.. I was burning hot with fever…. But that too didn’t make me sleep.. because at that very moment was actually wishing nothing but……. My house back !!!!!
I couldn’t face my parents…. They built this lovely house only to see it getting washed away… !!!! and I decided to hell with my dreams… I am going to study occupational therapy …. Cant think of more expenses.. after such heartbreaking losses..
Next day at 7am water receded .. and we wanted to see our house.. but wooden doors were bloated shut.. we broke in !!! in our own house… only to see 3-4 inch thick mud and et al cocktail layer… everything on ground…broken down or sleeping…. God Daddy forbade me to enter in house.. so I went on to neighboring bldg… only to hear.. that an old man and his wife died in their house trapped with water as their door opened against water so couldn’t open…. I ran back to mom.. and dad.. I love them.. and that day I actually for the first time feared of death…
Post this… house was cleaned up.. which was easy.. a truck came and we threw everything out.. including my books.. keeping just important things.. my all certificates, documents.. wet and dirty.. few certificates beyond recognition were thrown.. my dear friends' gifted cards.. carom board.. my treasured paintings… drawing book.. albums ..everything thrown with heavy heart .. in day or so.. my home consisted of just 4 walls…. No beds or blankets.. no cloths only borrowed ones.. no food.. it was cleaned spic n span..
With that my past self was washed off …. With memories starting afresh with this day… and in past 5ys only this memory stands out… till date I miss my stuff which I threw away myself…
im speechless....never knew that you had gone through all this....we in south mumbai were lucky....and all info we were getting to hear where from news channel....first time i got to read a real 26 july story....i never knew i have a friend who has gone through all this...i dont what to say...i cant even dare to say "i can undersntand" !!
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