We were just wearing those night-dresses. The tremors were experienced in entire Kutch district while places near Bhachau was the epic centre of the massive 7.9 Earthquake measuring on Richter scale, it shook the places even hundreds of miles away from the epic centre, Ahmadabad & even Mumbai.
The disaster did one good thing; all people of the HINGLAJ WADI got united. Residents got together well. Everybody decided to have one kitchen for the whole area and it worked. By afternoon, people had come to know that what they are passing through is the calamity, of a magnitude no one had ever imagined. I was gaining composure and the news that ANTARIKSH COMPLEX, a seven story apartment, had collapsed and it had literally converted to rubble. Nothing was left of that building. It was the end of the road for me. As the basement of approximate 1500 Sq feet place was booked for coaching classes, which I was running in the small town Bhuj. It was a dream, which everybody in the world has right to see, but very few of them are lucky, whose dreams really come true.
I was not amongst those lucky people. Lighting & Furniture work was under way as it was to be made ready by the end of March 2001, so as to start new batches. Few business deals were also being finalized with some other faculty members. Had that building not collapsed, I would have never returned to Mumbai to take up the same job, I had been doing for 10 years before leaving for Bhuj, just 3 & half years ago. But then it’s all the matter of ifs & buts.
Somehow the day passed. As the evening and subsequent night descended on Bhuj, I was scared. We were approximately 25 to 30 people holed up at MANGALAM. The evening supper was arranged by HINGLAJ MATAJI TEMPLE Trust. We had to finish it early during the day light, as there was no light to make it happen late in the evening. The small insects were flying in the air. Slowly the roads were getting deserted. Unseen forces of gloom were experienced. There was clear unknown fear. So many people had died in the morning. So many were in the hospital and many who were critical were leaving this world as and when their role in this drams created by almighty was over!
In the evening I tried to go to my flat in the middle of the old BHUJ, but could not gather courage, and came back from the Petrol Pump, which was by now deserted. Police and other forces were trying to maintain vigil and they were not allowing people to go into the old Bhuj. Almost all buildings in the old Bhuj were either badly damaged or collapsed in the morning. I came back to MANGALAM. It was decided that few youngsters from our group in turns would keep a vigil in the night, they will not sleep.
I was little more scared that night and with the grace of the God, the group decided that my turn would came in the early morning next day (Saturday, 27th January 2001).
As the night was tightening its grip, the January cold was also at work and so efficient nature was that the aftershocks were still coming. We had camped in the backyard of MANGLAM, used as garage. Cold wind was blowing in the night. There were literally no lights, as electricity cables were snapped. I along with other members of the family tried to cover that camping area with bed-sheets and whatever cloth was available. The cold wind took the temperature down to 8 degrees Celsius that night. I remember I had a very difficult time to cover 4 of us in one blanket. As Akshay & Urja were to be protected. Besides this unfriendly weather, aftershocks were killing. A building, on the next plot to that of MANGALAM, not occupied by its original residents, had a water tank precariously hanging over the open space where we had camped. At every aftershock, we looked at the water tank, sometimes waiting it to fall. You never know when that will end your journey in this world, for eternity. Temperature had dipped to around 6 degrees Celsius and it was a nightmare for four of us, and also for all those family members who had taken a refuge there. As we had one blanket, and all four of us needed to be protected.
Two big aftershocks had furthered the fear about nature. Two big aftershocks were felt. It was as if you were sleeping on the bed and somebody was shaking your bed violently. But instead of the bed it was the floor, on which I and all other people were sleeping. The irony was that the land, the floor, we always trusted so profoundly, was shaking. It was an experience of nature turning its face from its children!
Somehow the night of 26th January 2001 passed. In morning I gathered courage to go to my home at around 11.00 o’clock in the morning. Because we had no proper clothing, forget the warm cloths. Nilma joined me and we reached our flat. Somehow we gathered courage to go to 5th floor of our 7 story building. (Actually the residence started from 3rd floor. So the 7th floor became 5th floor.)
Somehow we managed to reach to our flat. It was a mixed feeling. My feet had started to tremble as I had not forgotten what had happened yesterday. Nilma quickly went inside the spare bed-room, she started collecting required clothing. The routine as well as warm cloths. We were sure that it would not be sooner to come back in our flat. That day was better and we managed it much better. We were all prepared very well in the night. But during the day, I came to know that the my aunty Vasantben, who was trapped in the rubble, after being hit in the head, was no more. One of my cousine’s wife and daughter had also died in the accident. Six to seven students were killed and many of them had lost someone who was near and dear one.
The external help had started arriving in the Sunday Morning. By afternoon Bhuj was flooded with rescue operations. Several foreign voluntary teams arrived in the city and they were helping army operatives in rescue operation. By the Sunday afternoon, even we received some aid. Wheat flour, salt, milk and most important was the drinking water pouches. I will never forget that we drank water which was stored for using in the toilet.
On Monday, the 3rd day after the D day, I made contact with my family members in Mumbai. Brother, mother and even father were sobbing uncontrollably. They had little or almost no hope for us, as we were living on the 7th floor and almost all high rise buildings were badly damaged beyond repairs or completely collapsed. We were scared of going into the house. Despite having your own home, I experienced what is homeless is. The 25th January 2001 was the last night we had slept in that house.
The most important was the scar on the mind of Akshay, who was so scared that till today sometimes he finds himself standing in those ruins.
At around 9.00 P.M. on Tuesday, 30th January 2001, we left Bhuj in small luxury bus for Mumbai.
(To Be Finished….!!)
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