It's been 3 years today, but the memory still stays afresh. It was a year since I passed out of college and my post graduation course was about to begin. It was a lazy monsoon day. As I lay on my couch flipping channels on the idiot box we got a call that my mom's best friend of more than 40 years had lost her father.
Mom rushed to Colaba, the weather was slightly overcast but I guess it was the lull before the storm. Dad and me followed at about 2:30 pm, Rima and family joined in later. It began to rain, heavily too but since we were in the better part of the city (better since it has been a part of British construction). Amidst all the pouring uncle's last rights were completed and we headed back towards home. 2 cars- one car: dad, mom, Rima, me, second car- Rima's parents. As we headed in this lashing rain we were caught in super heavy traffic. Traffic had probably moved a cm/30mins. We decided to detour, stopped at a family friend's house at Peddar Road. Thank God for that.
Not realizing exactly what the condition was in the burbs, we made merry, ate food and inspite of constant efforts of our family friends asking us to stay over, we decided to move towards home.
What a night that was! We stayed in the car all night. We made it half way but then we got into this jam at Shivaji Park. After which we pretty much stayed there all night. It was horrible but at least we were safe and not on a flooded street, I felt so bad for dad who couldnt even sleep a wink.
Next morning at about 8:00am we reached Bandra and were stopped by the local public who told us that our car would drown if we went ahead. By this time we were really really frustrated, tired and didnt know what to do. Anyway we u-turned and somehow managed to reach mom's friend's house in Bandra. We slept and ate a little bit after which we walked home only to find no electricity but at least we survived.
The images of that night clearly feature in my mind every 26th July. The people I saw, the people that helped, the unity amongst them clearly brings out the true spirit of Bombay what we generally talk about.
The cops didnt do much that day, they were too busy running home. It was the locals, the Bombayites who got out of their houses, offered food, water, even their bathrooms to all the people who were stuck on the road. Although this was a horrible incident and I wish it would have never happened, it gave me a sense of security living in Bombay. A sense of someone will always be there to help me if I need it, a unsaid unity, I don't think I can put more words on how I felt.
This was my incident.
Friends walked for miles in knee deep water, another was stuck in a std booth and taken home by the owner, others who were at home helped bring biscuits, water to people stuck outside their houses. Others were excited to be stuck alongside Aaamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan. It was a busy two days for all of us. Cars parked like a traffic jam on the roads, trees fallen down, no phones, no computers, family outside Bombay worried about us.
But hey we are from Bombay. We were back on our feet and back with a bang.
Another reason I love Bombay and it's spirit
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