ARE THESE SHEER COINCIDENCES,OR WORTHWHILE LESSONS OF LIFE?

Rains,Rains, stop a bit, come again some other day.Apologies for this lovely rhyme of our nursery days,but, this year’s rains have been great teaching force.To begin with,I will put down few things, which I went through.I left Mumbai on the th of june,it was rain quite well,mere drizzle,you see.Rains had taken a break of 2-3 days then,and I had heard that it was raining well in Gujarat,my home state,I was heading to.I took a noon time train to Baroda, and as the train chugged through the vast plains of southern gujarat,I could see all the fields water logged,all the rivers swollen,all trees battered, all the peasants along the track side a worried lot.I didn’t for what,in fact they should have been happy for it was raining well, but for us, urbanites,their parameters are different mathematics altogether.I reached home and the next day again started off for Navsari, my new work place.Being on a pick up as they say, I was allowed to run away ealy from the work.But the next day was unusual in may respects.That day broke various myths,many fantasies, and many images of rains,I had grown up with, and also romanticised a lot.

Next day,the train,I took,got stranded at a nondescript station called Nabipur,the scenario was grim and I was getting ready for the path I had never took.i ‘tinkied’ in the stuffy compartment with oldies for a while,that is 5 hours, and then I lost it. I called up home and asked my mom should I come back? Mom affirmed, and then it was a journey I would never forget.as the locals would have already sensed they were ready with vehicles to move,us stranded passengers, at meagre amounts.the old man left us on high way, and after trying a bit, we got into an open truck,going towards Baroda.the rain was battering like ice bullets were being shot at us. I saw that most of the fields throughout the highway were flooded and the water passed through even a small nullah like it would take away anything that comes in its way.some how I managed to return home safely.

After couple of days the state was declared flood hit and then after a gap of 11 years our area got flooded.6 feet high level of murky water engulfed our entire area of around 500 homes.though I was in navsari,I was in touch on the cellphone,I was worried,and wanted to runback home.i did having taken the consent of my officials,but when I reached Vishvamitri I was told not to venture inside the society,as the currents were strong ,and I would easily drown.i obeyed and moved only next morning.that night was the most troublesome night I have ever lived by.mornign arrived and I reached home to see,it submerged,helpless and deserted.thank god my parents had a shelter in the home of pradhans.two days later the waters receded and left along a mark on,let alone,on our homely walls, but on our psyche.heavy downpour now evoke a sense of fright,what could be done if this happens again.simple,tie all your valuables in “potlas” and put them on the higher spaces of your home.if at all our minds were “potlas” we would not have learnt so much from such an incident.

“ITS ONLY HIS HAND,ON OUR HEADS THAT MAKES US FEEL LIKE WEALTHY MILLIONARES,LET HIM MOVE IT AWAY, AND WE ARE , BACK TO OUR REAL SELVES,HELPLESS,HAPLESS,PAUPERS”.