It was raining a little today, quite a drowsy day. Made me think of how UK is almost all around the year. Spoke with G in the morning, he was bit under the weather so our usual conversation was cut short.
I am going to share something from last year today. It was a horrible time in Chennai last December. We endured a massive flood in the city and were displaced from our home. One night we were comfortably sleeping in our home unaware that it was going to be our last night in that house. It all started 3rd December 2015
3rd December 2015
Morning was very dull, it had been raining since two days, G and me had to meet Dad who was in Chennai for a meeting for breakfast at ITC Grand Chola. We were running late in the morning. The plan was that G would have breakfast and go to his workplace and I would spend the day with Dad.
We had a good breakfast at the backdrop of rain pelting against the window of the hotel, I was a bit restless and asked G to check with his office if they are open in this crazy weather. After a lot of contemplation we decided that its better that he skipped work and stayed with me.
The rain just got worse during the day
G: Rain is getting worse by the minute, I think its better I call home and ask them to shift into a hotel. If the water gets logged like it was two weeks ago, it will be difficult to get out then
Me: Are you sure? Is it that serious? I think it will stop soon. Maybe we should wait a while
G: No use waiting, it will get worse by the looks of it and then it will be difficult to find a hotel. Let me call home and check.
This was a very wise call that we took that day, sure enough things got worse. It is good that family shifted to a hotel nearby just in time. The water had reached the doorstep and almost everyone around had abandoned their houses. We were still in the hotel, Dad was contemplating to cancel the meeting in the night which was an important one. He decided to attend it after all. Me and G thought we would leave in the evening to the hotel that our family had shifted to.
Waiting for our car at the gate:
Me: Maybe we should check if the traffic is fine on the road
G: We can ask the other car drivers who arrive at the hotel, if they observed heavy traffic on the route.
Drivers we met said that there is traffic but its a flowing traffic. The roads are fine. So we decided to embark on the journey
Me: lets put the DVD player in our car to good use, we can see a movie on the way. Its going to be a long Journey
The traffic was fine till we reached a blind turning and then the scene that unfolded in front of my eyes,I cannot shake it off even now. There was water everywhere, most of the shops on the left side was submersed till only their board glowed in the dark. Water was getting higher by the minute. I could feel the water coming inside my Volkswagon. There was chaos all around, cars were stopping midway.
Me: OMG! we need to turn back now! Its horrible here. Water is coming inside the car. Its almost upto my knees
G: We cant turn back now, we have to cross the flyover for turning.
Me: But...What if our car stops, What if the water fills the entire car and we cant get out!
G: You need to calm down, we are going to get through this. I won't let the car stop. Till the time we go slowly and I keep giving accelerator, it wont stop
Me: I am scared, really scared!
People all around were screaming, coming out of their cars. Trying to move in the water. They were all shoulder deep in water. Water had reached our gear box and G was now shifting the gear inside the water
Me: I don't even know how to swim, what if I drown!
G: Nothing will happen!
Me: How can you be so calm about this, can you see around you!!! There is so much water inside. We will get stuck
G: Move the windows down, if the electrical wiring gets stuck. There will be no air inside the car. Focus on something else. We cant change the situation that we are in, but we can work in improving it.
Me: I found a bottle, should I throw water out. That way atleast we can see the gear box
G: That's a good idea. Do that but don't strain yourself.
After emptying about 30 bottles, we were definitely better inside but all drenched. We managed to get to the flyover only to find that the route was closed. It was frustrating. It took us 5 hours to turn back 1 km to ITC again. Those 5 hours felt 5 years. I was glad I was with G his calmness and presence of mind put me at ease.
G: Now that we are out of the water, do you want to continue our movie?
Me: Are you serious!!!? Movie in the middle of this!
G: well there is nothing else we can do, the traffic wont budge. There is no use worrying if we cant do something about it. Watching movie seems quite logical, it will distract us, calm us and entertain us!
Me: *speechless*
To be continued... in Floods Part 2 post
I am going to share something from last year today. It was a horrible time in Chennai last December. We endured a massive flood in the city and were displaced from our home. One night we were comfortably sleeping in our home unaware that it was going to be our last night in that house. It all started 3rd December 2015
3rd December 2015
Morning was very dull, it had been raining since two days, G and me had to meet Dad who was in Chennai for a meeting for breakfast at ITC Grand Chola. We were running late in the morning. The plan was that G would have breakfast and go to his workplace and I would spend the day with Dad.
We had a good breakfast at the backdrop of rain pelting against the window of the hotel, I was a bit restless and asked G to check with his office if they are open in this crazy weather. After a lot of contemplation we decided that its better that he skipped work and stayed with me.
The rain just got worse during the day
G: Rain is getting worse by the minute, I think its better I call home and ask them to shift into a hotel. If the water gets logged like it was two weeks ago, it will be difficult to get out then
Me: Are you sure? Is it that serious? I think it will stop soon. Maybe we should wait a while
G: No use waiting, it will get worse by the looks of it and then it will be difficult to find a hotel. Let me call home and check.
This was a very wise call that we took that day, sure enough things got worse. It is good that family shifted to a hotel nearby just in time. The water had reached the doorstep and almost everyone around had abandoned their houses. We were still in the hotel, Dad was contemplating to cancel the meeting in the night which was an important one. He decided to attend it after all. Me and G thought we would leave in the evening to the hotel that our family had shifted to.
Waiting for our car at the gate:
Me: Maybe we should check if the traffic is fine on the road
G: We can ask the other car drivers who arrive at the hotel, if they observed heavy traffic on the route.
Drivers we met said that there is traffic but its a flowing traffic. The roads are fine. So we decided to embark on the journey
Me: lets put the DVD player in our car to good use, we can see a movie on the way. Its going to be a long Journey
The traffic was fine till we reached a blind turning and then the scene that unfolded in front of my eyes,I cannot shake it off even now. There was water everywhere, most of the shops on the left side was submersed till only their board glowed in the dark. Water was getting higher by the minute. I could feel the water coming inside my Volkswagon. There was chaos all around, cars were stopping midway.
Me: OMG! we need to turn back now! Its horrible here. Water is coming inside the car. Its almost upto my knees
G: We cant turn back now, we have to cross the flyover for turning.
Me: But...What if our car stops, What if the water fills the entire car and we cant get out!
G: You need to calm down, we are going to get through this. I won't let the car stop. Till the time we go slowly and I keep giving accelerator, it wont stop
Me: I am scared, really scared!
People all around were screaming, coming out of their cars. Trying to move in the water. They were all shoulder deep in water. Water had reached our gear box and G was now shifting the gear inside the water
Me: I don't even know how to swim, what if I drown!
G: Nothing will happen!
Me: How can you be so calm about this, can you see around you!!! There is so much water inside. We will get stuck
G: Move the windows down, if the electrical wiring gets stuck. There will be no air inside the car. Focus on something else. We cant change the situation that we are in, but we can work in improving it.
Me: I found a bottle, should I throw water out. That way atleast we can see the gear box
G: That's a good idea. Do that but don't strain yourself.
After emptying about 30 bottles, we were definitely better inside but all drenched. We managed to get to the flyover only to find that the route was closed. It was frustrating. It took us 5 hours to turn back 1 km to ITC again. Those 5 hours felt 5 years. I was glad I was with G his calmness and presence of mind put me at ease.
G: Now that we are out of the water, do you want to continue our movie?
Me: Are you serious!!!? Movie in the middle of this!
G: well there is nothing else we can do, the traffic wont budge. There is no use worrying if we cant do something about it. Watching movie seems quite logical, it will distract us, calm us and entertain us!
Me: *speechless*
To be continued... in Floods Part 2 post
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