I never knew a city with a heavy rainfall for a whole day could probably have total turn around effect on the lives of its proud residents.
Stranded to quite an extent, three friends and I decided to walk home on this exceptional event of major city-flooding. No taxis, no buses and hell no trains. Knee high waters and noisy traffic were our adversaries. I was taken aback by the kind of chaos this kind of weather can possibly cause.
On the request of a few panic-struck students from college, the lectures post four were cancelled and kids were promptly sent back. What I saw next was the worst case of loneliness in a crowd I have ever witnessed. The students that had flown in from other cities had their temporary residence in the suburbs of this great city and dew to the torrents, the trains would not budge. Lost in the city in any case they were now lost in a college which is far away from a house that in turn is far away from ‘home’. Most of them decided to stay put and go home only tomorrow and there were few who ventured out in the quest of finding alternate means to commute back to the cozy atmosphere at home. I, for one, knew that I had to get back, for two reasons. One, staying there meant no food (something I don’t like the idea of) and secondly, I stay close enough to make it any-which-way I can. Dipti, a resident of Worli, and a classmate, tagged along as I decided to go walking back if nothing else. And so the two of us shook ourselves and walked out of the gate only to shiver harder than ever. The waters were intimidatingly deep and blood-curdlingly dirty. A customary rolling up of trouser bottoms and off we went, swishing through the mucky accumulations of heavenly outbursts. On our way, fortunately, we found two more ladies, reckoning the same fate as us and destined in the same direction too. On our request to join us, Tanaya and Khyati were way more than happy to have some company in the frightful endeavors of our foot-journey to distant destinations. So the four of us forming a clumsy file splashed through the rains and unknown water-bodies and I shred DIpti’s umbrella which would reduce our pace considerably. Anyway, who was in too much of a hurry? As I said, the entire city had turned over its head. The traffic was slower than the pedestrians and why not? The pedestrians walked in the middle of the road and the cars… you guessed it, on the side-walks. The road looked like it was bleeding cars and people just looked so lost in the face of an otherwise tackle-able problem. The frothy waters gushing out of any and every opening on the road looked disastrous. It looked like the city was draining and straining all its water content and trying to live on a waterless diet! I would have loved to take a few snap-shots of the scene but then again, pulling out a cell phone in a heavy shower is not a very good idea.
After splish-splashing for over an hour we made it from Fort to Babulnaath. The journey was quite intriguing and full of a merry cheer for all were convinced they’d get home sooner or later. Just as we were contemplating over Khyati not having called her car when she had been asked by her mother, she spots her mother in her car. We felt redemption and it was a welcome surprise as we saw her signaling us from the other side of the road to hop in. her mother on the wheel and an uncle of hers kept us on a rolling laughter spree till we almost reached home. It took us a good hour from where we were, to reach our place, which on a normal day with traffic, would take nothing more than seven minutes. All I remember after reaching home is that I ate a light dinner and passed out on my bed till I woke up with a jitter. I was wondering if Dipti made it or not for she stayed the farthest and she was going to walk it up. The most frightful fact was that she had just gotten out of a Malaria attack and it was only her second day in college. A phone call confirmed her safety and I now sit here and make a record of this unforgettable day.
I still wonder what my other colleagues from college are up to. And I also pray for those many that are now left stranded on the platforms of cold railway stations and wet streets. Mothers who are lost to their children on the other side of the city. Husbands of the awaiting wives. Children of the anxious parents who are waiting for them on the dinner table. I sincerely hope they make it back as soon as possible. Oh dear God, just can’t deal with the shivers down my spine.
Stranded to quite an extent, three friends and I decided to walk home on this exceptional event of major city-flooding. No taxis, no buses and hell no trains. Knee high waters and noisy traffic were our adversaries. I was taken aback by the kind of chaos this kind of weather can possibly cause.
On the request of a few panic-struck students from college, the lectures post four were cancelled and kids were promptly sent back. What I saw next was the worst case of loneliness in a crowd I have ever witnessed. The students that had flown in from other cities had their temporary residence in the suburbs of this great city and dew to the torrents, the trains would not budge. Lost in the city in any case they were now lost in a college which is far away from a house that in turn is far away from ‘home’. Most of them decided to stay put and go home only tomorrow and there were few who ventured out in the quest of finding alternate means to commute back to the cozy atmosphere at home. I, for one, knew that I had to get back, for two reasons. One, staying there meant no food (something I don’t like the idea of) and secondly, I stay close enough to make it any-which-way I can. Dipti, a resident of Worli, and a classmate, tagged along as I decided to go walking back if nothing else. And so the two of us shook ourselves and walked out of the gate only to shiver harder than ever. The waters were intimidatingly deep and blood-curdlingly dirty. A customary rolling up of trouser bottoms and off we went, swishing through the mucky accumulations of heavenly outbursts. On our way, fortunately, we found two more ladies, reckoning the same fate as us and destined in the same direction too. On our request to join us, Tanaya and Khyati were way more than happy to have some company in the frightful endeavors of our foot-journey to distant destinations. So the four of us forming a clumsy file splashed through the rains and unknown water-bodies and I shred DIpti’s umbrella which would reduce our pace considerably. Anyway, who was in too much of a hurry? As I said, the entire city had turned over its head. The traffic was slower than the pedestrians and why not? The pedestrians walked in the middle of the road and the cars… you guessed it, on the side-walks. The road looked like it was bleeding cars and people just looked so lost in the face of an otherwise tackle-able problem. The frothy waters gushing out of any and every opening on the road looked disastrous. It looked like the city was draining and straining all its water content and trying to live on a waterless diet! I would have loved to take a few snap-shots of the scene but then again, pulling out a cell phone in a heavy shower is not a very good idea.
After splish-splashing for over an hour we made it from Fort to Babulnaath. The journey was quite intriguing and full of a merry cheer for all were convinced they’d get home sooner or later. Just as we were contemplating over Khyati not having called her car when she had been asked by her mother, she spots her mother in her car. We felt redemption and it was a welcome surprise as we saw her signaling us from the other side of the road to hop in. her mother on the wheel and an uncle of hers kept us on a rolling laughter spree till we almost reached home. It took us a good hour from where we were, to reach our place, which on a normal day with traffic, would take nothing more than seven minutes. All I remember after reaching home is that I ate a light dinner and passed out on my bed till I woke up with a jitter. I was wondering if Dipti made it or not for she stayed the farthest and she was going to walk it up. The most frightful fact was that she had just gotten out of a Malaria attack and it was only her second day in college. A phone call confirmed her safety and I now sit here and make a record of this unforgettable day.
I still wonder what my other colleagues from college are up to. And I also pray for those many that are now left stranded on the platforms of cold railway stations and wet streets. Mothers who are lost to their children on the other side of the city. Husbands of the awaiting wives. Children of the anxious parents who are waiting for them on the dinner table. I sincerely hope they make it back as soon as possible. Oh dear God, just can’t deal with the shivers down my spine.
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