Chennai was rising from what seemed for some days to be its watery grave. A semblance of normalcy was returning to Chennai. People were getting back to their usual schedules, except for the school kids. Their unexpected vacation extended for a few more days and they were busy eating their parent's heads. The previous week had been harrowing for almost everyone associated with Chennai. Many houses had marooned, others did not have power and food. The mobile revolution had come to a stand still due to the lack of power. No one could reach across to anyone. Only the news channel brought sensational reports from a water laden and dark city. Other than these reports and an occasional message and call, family and friend in the deluged city were completely cut off from people outside.
I was one of the outside persons. I had taken one of the last flights out of Chennai to Delhi. The disastrous rain spell had started when I reached the airport. The incoming flight could not land for sometime but a brief respite allowed the flight to land and take off with me inside. I realized the terribleness of situation only when I reached the hotel in the evening. I was in constant touch with my family in Chennai till the next afternoon. After that Chennai became unreachable. One or two messages or calls went through. These calls and messages and the news channels gave us information about large scale flooding in the city. Beyond that at most times I was in the dark about my family's status while they were in the dark all the time.
I got through to my sister once and heard that my parent's house was flooded. But they were safe in her house. I got through to a friend who was kind enough to visit our house. She informed me that my family was safe with no instances of flooding in the area. Late that night, I got a call from my wife and I spoke to her and my son for about an hour. This trend continued for the next few days. Things finally settled down at the end of the week.
The airport and railway station were closed for the week and getting back to Chennai had become equivalent to attacking one of Chattrapati Shivaji's fort. Since my family was safe, I did not feel the need to indulge in heroics to get home. My two day trip to Delhi grew into a week long trip to different locations in North India. One such trip took me to Jammu. How and what happened during that trip should be a part of another write-up (I guess). The trip was just a day long and I returned by the Rajdhani express that night. I had just finished my dinner and was sitting with my laptop when a message popped up in my Whatsapp. The conversation that resulted out of this message went as follows.
SOMEONE: If any of your friends or relatives are living in Chennai ask them to leave Chennai immediately because in the next 72 hours very heavy rain is expected more than multiple level of the present rain. As per NASA Report this is not the ordinary rain. It's name is EL Nino cyclone. There is a chance for 250 cm rain. Chances are there nearly the entire Chennai may be submerged in water. Search in Google, you will understand. Somehow inform of your friends and relatives in Chennai.
Wipro announces t p. drop people to out of chennai city. Over 100 wipro buses starts tomorrow 7 am - 8.30am from Koyambedu bus stop. Please share this message to those stuck in chennai.....
Spread the news tomorrow 6 flights gonna take off from arakkonam air base. Flat rates of 1000 rs for any city in south India and 2000 for north India . Only hand baggage allowed
Air India flights to Hyderabad for Rs 1000 and Delhi For Rs 2000 only for emergency cases
Pls post this to diff.groups. Please read this.
HELPFUL CITIZEN (HC): No, this is a hoax , Someone has created this to create terror..
VICTIM1 (V1): Hopefully
VICTIM2 (V2): I'm sure that's a rumour. We'll be careful though. No worries
HC: Yes, I had looked it up about 4 hours back. It is a rumour
V2: This must be a rumour. But it won't hurt to be careful and stock up on essentials.
HC: Yes, BBC has also reported rains apparently..
V2: Shockingly, people have it in them to create panic to the extent of saying "leave the city" when it's such a vulnerable condition already
SMARTASS (SA): I quite like the Rs.1000 and Rs.2000 flat rate part. Seems to be dedicated to Chennai auto drivers.
HC: Haha..news websites are all like
VC2: Yeah. But we'll be careful. We seem to have got used to the routine now 😒
HC (vehemently): 'the message doing the rounds on WhatsApp is fake, NASA has published no such report'... 😂
SA: But this one was first seen a month back when the first spell happen. We should intimate NASA that their satellites are looking in the wrong direction
HC: Haha, NASA will be like 'whaaat!'
VC1: Or whatsap
SA: Hey NASA that is an auto not pluto.
HC: Ha ha. Tsunami scare happens every year I think
SA: Yeah every time the sea recedes
HC: Every year our exams used to get rescheduled because of Tsunami warnings..and the collector will also declare a holiday
SA: That was the Amma election time and not Tsunami Siddarth
HC: Amma election also of course.
SA: Tsunamma
HC: An epic washout that was..
The conversation ended there, I closed the laptop, pulled on the blanket and went to sleep.
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