DOWN POUR IN MUMBAI BREAKS ALL RECORDS FOR AUGUST IN 10 YEARS

Pushpamitra Das 

The doorbell rang – I heard it thrice and finally opened the door in a sleepy state. It was 5.30 am. It was the car cleaner who comes daily to collect the keys. I promptly handed over the keys and went back to sleep.

I was woken up at 7.45 am to have my bed tea… I suddenly realized that it's a day declared as a holiday for all schools, colleges and some Govt offices too as we have a cyclone warning even today and all have been instructed to remain indoors... my mood immediately lit up and I started feeling more lazy...

That's when I peeped outside the balcony, looked up, checked the weather, it isn't raining any more, sky looks relatively clearer than yesterday, I wondered will the cyclone come today? I could then hear the normal Mumbai buzz of the local trains (as my home is not far from the railway tracks) over speeding auto rickshaws rushing the passengers to the stations at peak hours ...

Our cook, Priya who comes from a nearby low lying area had already started cooking breakfast and cutting vegetables for lunch and she rushed to open the door as the doorbell rang, it was the tender coconut vendor who comes to deliver 2 tender coconuts every morning.  I asked Priya how were the rains yesterday, she said she couldn't make it to her home as it is still flooded with water and her family stayed at her sister’s place. Yet she was here on time.


It was just 12 hours back - I took almost 3 hours to reach home which otherwise is a 15-minutes’ drive. Till 1am I was watching the news channel viewing the submerged Mumbai, stranded commuters due to the torrential rains, people struggling to reach their homes as the public transportation system has come to a grinding halt, roads were flooded with 3 to 5 feet water, bikes and cars were abandoned in the roads and people walking distances of 20 to 40 kms to reach their homes... buildings collapsing and rescue operations underway... anything that could go wrong had gone wrong.

All temples, gurdwaras, churches, masjids, Ganesh pandals, and individual homes had opened their doors to stranded passengers... Communities and NGOs had sprung into action offering first aid, water, food – vada pau, tea, biscuits, poha, Sheera, to commuters.... The best was Mumbai traffic police joined the locals clearing up traffic by pushing cars out of the water and guiding public. Humanity was at its peak... no religion or caste difference. The only language spoken was humanity and help... looked like god was residing in each such individual.


Come morning, it's a different environment, seems like you have been transported elsewhere, yesterday has become history, the Mumbai spirit is back, seems like nothing had happened or whatever had happened is long forgotten, all are back to work – it is all normal, no one thinks about the cyclone prediction, be it the car cleaner, dog walker, watchman, visiting maids, newspaper vendors, milk man, or driver... all have reported to their respective duties, after the horrifying experience just yesterday. Today is a new day... it's a new beginning.

Vanita (my wife who works with a Bank) was busy calling up all her team members yesterday night checking their whereabouts, status, and ensuring their safety and head count. She is now receiving calls from them seeking approval to operate from a nearby branch of the bank or condoning 60 to 90 minutes for late arrivals to office as they have reached home ranging from 11 pm to 4 am. No wants a leave even for a day... no one is tired enough not to report to work.

Looking at the spirit of these people at times we also muster courage within ourselves to get up and keep moving. I must admit, I was in two minds whether to leave for my work or not... I don't think I have a choice to make – honestly, I am ashamed to choose staying back.

Hats off to the spirit of this city. Mumbai may drown but not the spirit of this city, the zeal of Mumbaikars whatever be the nature of adversity... floods, riots or bomb blasts... the spirit never dies. I sometimes feel it is like a wheel which does not stop or give up rotating and anyone who gets into this wheel becomes a part of it left with no choice – it goes on and on and on.