BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM
Its raining cats and dogs in mumbai since yesterday. And now whenever it rains, memories of 26 July 2005 comes fresh in my mind. I simply just can't forget those heart rendering pics of the deads in the newspapers. It was good that we didn't see all that on the television, otherwise it would have been worse for me.
Every picture had a story. Oh, God, forgive us for our wrong actions. I dont know why it happened that day, was God punishing us?
I simply just can't enjoy rains anymore. There is always this constant fear, what if the rains didn't stop? what if therez high tide again? God, this is not me. I was the first one I remember to get drenched in the rains. Never carrying umbrella and giving that as an excuse. Friends scolding and shouting, but their scoldings would sound as a background music in the rains for me. I still wish to go to some hill stations, near the snow while it rains. But the feelings won't be same again now.
I still remember that dreadful day, every second of it. And I feel fortunate enough to be alive today. My mom was with my dad, abroad. Only we four were here in mumbai. Me, my 2 sis and a bro. Day started casually as always. Later in the morning I got a phone call from my very best friend Samidha, She had to go some place in mumbai with her boss for an important meeting, and she was not ready for that. She hated meetings that time and was avoiding it. But, her boss a very good man insisted so that she can learn through it. Before leaving she called me up and as normally as it can be, expressed that she didnt wished to go, hope something happens and the meeting gets cancelled.
I chided her for that, and just encouraged her to take it up as a challenge. She'll get to learn new things from the meeting. She said Ok, pray for me and hunged up the phone. I too was preparing to go out. My Obsession with creativity makes me go anywhere, anytime. One of my aunt's friend teaches karchob, and I was very keen to learn that. Hence I used to travel far and wide just to learn that. That day too I was about to go there. I had prepared modaks, in the morning ( just dunno what clicked me that morning to prepare modaks). Later thought of making Dal-Chawal and some veggie as accompaniment. ( Preparing modaks took up my lots of time so had no other option apart from dal-chawal, which gets cooked in no time.) My two siblings left for their college, my another sis went for her classes.
Just before my two siblings were about to leave, one of my friend arrived at my place (actually not a friend, she was just an acquaintance that time, and her visit was not welcome by me). It was 1 in the afternoon, and while talking to her, the dal got burnt. There was nothing I could do, ( I was not a pro at cooking that time). My siblings just ordered the food from a nearby restaurent, ate and went to college. It was now only me and her, listening her boring talks with a smile on the face. Ooh..... How I cursed her that day, God forgive me for that. Because of her I had to miss my hobby class that day. She left at around 2 P.M. because by that time it started raining very heavily.
Now I was alone at home, crying for missing my class and cursing and blaming her all the time. At 4 P.M the electricity went off everywhere in our society, infact I think in our whole city. I started getting worried and anxious, soon my sis came back from her classes and after a while my both siblings too came back from their college. It had started raining very very very heavily by then, and as night grew, the rains became more violent. We had to shut all the windows of the house, as the wind along with rains was blowing too ferociously. It sounded very eerie, we didnt knew what to do. Soon all the telephone lines were jammed, that became more worse. That night it felt as the world would now come to an end.
I was in no mood that day to cook any dinner, as it is there was no electricity. Only courage I could gather was from my friend's family. Her sis used to call up every now and then to check on us. We really thanked God as we were not able to call anyone neither anybody's call reached us except that from my friend's house. It was really a miracle. We got some courage by her sis's constant calling. Her father too talked and gave courage, told not to worry, things will be fine. But, when worry creeps in within you, nothing else feel soothing. Besides my sami was stuck up in the rains, I was really worried about her and was constantly praying for her safety.
After waiting for long, we ordered biryani foil packs from star biryani, a well known catering service of our place. The man on the other line was in a funny mood and asked whether it was raining in our place (his place is hardly 10 mins. walk from our place), I responded postively and he said it was the same at his place too and hence the service is closed for today. We were left high and dry, scared to go and cook in the kitchen because of the thundering sounds. Ultimately we ordered chana masala from sahyadri hotel, not sure of getting the same reply from there too. However, God bless that guy and the delivery man. We got the parcel and ate it with only bread (there was no other thing that day at home except for modaks).
After having the food there was nothing to do apart from getting scared by the thunderings occuring at regular intervals. We offered our prayers and went to sleep. We were so scared that day that I asked my brother to sleep with us in the same room. I was just praying and hoping the night to pass away soon. Felt a lill relief at day break, but after that all the news I got to hear and read in the newspapers along with those faces, dead bodies and all the destruction, i just couldn't be at peace for a lot many days.
Really life is too short, we can never expect when our turn would come. If I would have gone out that day, I wouldn't have returned back alive, as the place I was about to go, it was a low lying area, and as reported in the newspaper maximum number of people were found dead over there. I thanked Rab and silently prayed for that friend for saving my life. She was actually sent by God that day, otherwise there was no chance of her coming to my place at time of the day.
I realised one thing that day in the real sense. We should every time seek forgiveness and at the same time thank God for all the blessings he has bestowed on us, however small or big. And guests..... however good or bad, they must be always welcomed from our heart.
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