Friday, July 29, 2005

Calm after the Storm

Last night it rained heavily leading many of us to fear that the city would be plunged into another chaos. Getting ready for office I was unsure what to take with me..a boat?? anyways setting aside all fears I took the local train to churchgate...which was as packed as ever...... churchgate station surprised me....this was the place where thousands had found shelter the last two nights...and today it was clean and neat...not a sign of the mass of people that had accumulated there ...... mumbai was back ......

Office was like a theatre with people relating all their stories excitedly.......heard both good and bad stories....but mostly good...about a spouse being rescued from a sinking bus by strangers...about a taxi driver not taking money from people for a 12 hour journey....people distributing biscuits to waiting cars.....children being taken by the watchmen and personally delivered to their parents care..... some bad ones as well......about the taxi driver who transported some stranded teenagers home and the family haggling with him about his meter charge....about bosses taking their cars and leaving their employees behind without even a question.....well they say crisis brings out the best in people...in some I guess it brings out the worst.....

I personally couldnt have survived this as well as I did if people had not reached out to help me....especially new friends in Mumbai Sean and Jodie who personally called and gave me shelter in their homes....Anna thankyou to you too for them ......and my aunt, Sarah Kochamma, who ensured that I was safe and warm in her house till things settled down....not to mention the yummy chicken she cooked for me while I was there..... and all the people who kept enquiring after me......I guess I am lucky.....

now it is the calm after the storm.......I am building a boat in the meanwhile....

1 comment:

Shikha Bhattacharji said...

Was it tangine?! While you're at building, make sure it'll take us across the mediterranean to tangiers :)