Me and G were chatting with the auto guy, he was telling us his story about being stuck in the auto and not getting food anywhere around. As we moved, we saw the destruction that the floods had caused. People were lined up to get milk, which otherwise only ₹15 was now ₹100 for a packet. Same with water and other food items.
The roads were mostly dry to our surprise until we reached near our area. There was this very small lane which we took to avoid the water logging in front of us, the lane was covered in water and our auto maneuvered those pretty well. We reached the main road which lead to our house.
Again I saw water hip deep, there was no way the auto would go through with that. The driver left us in the beginning of the road
G: We will have to walk the rest. The hotel is around 1-2 Km from here, are you okay to walk?
Me: That's alright! But there is so much water, we will be around hip deep in water. What if there is an open drain and we fall in.
G: Well see those bikes going through, that is the path we take. You come behind me, where I step in you step the same path.
Me: okay but be very careful *fearfully*
We waded through the water slowly. There were few vehicles which were also going through and each time they went by, we got drenched. I was scared, of the water and of all the destruction caused. How will the city regain itself again. Just few days back I drove in these streets not knowing what was to come.
We reached the hotel, the lobby was fully drenched and there was no electricity like the entire city. Their back up generator was also almost giving up, tirelessly working for two days. We reached the hotel room and were very glad to see our family safe! It was a great reunion, we exchanged stories and found that they had been having cakes for breakfast and saving up their lunch. This area was worse than the area where we had come from. I suggested that we all go back to ITC and then decide where to go from there. Chennai was not livable currently. Family had managed to pack us a bag of fresh clothes before vacating our house.
G had to convince an auto driver about the route we came from and assured him that it is free of water logging. Only then he agreed to drive us back. On the way, I produced an extra key to the hotel room which I had procured from the reception the night of the floods. I was looking forward to seeing my father and having everyone under the same roof finally. I was not able to communicate with him this entire while because there was no signal.
When we reached the hotel, we headed straight to our room, I rang the bell couple of times but there was no answer. I presumed that maybe Dad was in the bathroom or we missed him in the lobby. I opened the door with my spare keys.
Me: There is something odd here, G are you listening....
G was busy chatting in the background and showing the enormous room to the family, without noticing that my father's luggage and his laptop both were missing.
Me: Pappa is not here, he has left! That cannot be possible, he told me he will be here! What happened? *panicking*
G: *finally looking around and sensing what I just said* Call him up from the landline, see if you can connect.
Me: I am not able to get through, his phone is not reachable. Wait let me call my sister in Delhi, she will surely know!
After speaking to my sister I learned that I was trespassing someone's else's room since my father had checked out. He had tried contacting me several times and had then informed the hotel lobby to pass on the message, that his office people had come to the hotel and there were few international delegates who had a flight to catch from Bangalore, so the car had to leave urgently and they had space for one person. He did not know what we had planned and presumed that water logging would have been better in my area.
My sister suggested us doing the same, get our car and leave to Bangalore since the road is open for a few hours. We needed to be quick and leave Chennai. We rushed to the lobby and called our car from valet only to find out that water was still there inside the car. The car, my loyal Volkswagen was strong and still running. We sat down with the water still inside and went on road not knowing if we will reach our destination.
On the way we stopped by and picked up water and something to eat. En route we stopped to remove water from our car with a mop we managed to get from a local store.
With only a bag full of clothes and nothing else we left Chennai, not knowing when we will be back and how our house is withstanding the fall. Thanks to my efficient sister and my uncle we managed to book tickets in train to Bangalore and from there to Delhi, since airlines had raised their fare to ₹75000 for each ticket in this distressed hour. Only when we reached Bangalore, I felt that the nightmare was over.
It is difficult to think that adversity will effect us, we read in the newspaper or on news feed of such things and never believe that it can actually happen to us as well. It made me think about the question we usually ask people 'If your house is on fire, what are the things that you will take and leave behind?' I believe that comfortably sitting in our houses and answering that question does not do justice to the gravity of the actual situation. We take nothing, we only yearn to be with our loved ones and wish their safety above anything else.
The roads were mostly dry to our surprise until we reached near our area. There was this very small lane which we took to avoid the water logging in front of us, the lane was covered in water and our auto maneuvered those pretty well. We reached the main road which lead to our house.
Again I saw water hip deep, there was no way the auto would go through with that. The driver left us in the beginning of the road
G: We will have to walk the rest. The hotel is around 1-2 Km from here, are you okay to walk?
Me: That's alright! But there is so much water, we will be around hip deep in water. What if there is an open drain and we fall in.
G: Well see those bikes going through, that is the path we take. You come behind me, where I step in you step the same path.
Me: okay but be very careful *fearfully*
We waded through the water slowly. There were few vehicles which were also going through and each time they went by, we got drenched. I was scared, of the water and of all the destruction caused. How will the city regain itself again. Just few days back I drove in these streets not knowing what was to come.
We reached the hotel, the lobby was fully drenched and there was no electricity like the entire city. Their back up generator was also almost giving up, tirelessly working for two days. We reached the hotel room and were very glad to see our family safe! It was a great reunion, we exchanged stories and found that they had been having cakes for breakfast and saving up their lunch. This area was worse than the area where we had come from. I suggested that we all go back to ITC and then decide where to go from there. Chennai was not livable currently. Family had managed to pack us a bag of fresh clothes before vacating our house.
G had to convince an auto driver about the route we came from and assured him that it is free of water logging. Only then he agreed to drive us back. On the way, I produced an extra key to the hotel room which I had procured from the reception the night of the floods. I was looking forward to seeing my father and having everyone under the same roof finally. I was not able to communicate with him this entire while because there was no signal.
When we reached the hotel, we headed straight to our room, I rang the bell couple of times but there was no answer. I presumed that maybe Dad was in the bathroom or we missed him in the lobby. I opened the door with my spare keys.
Me: There is something odd here, G are you listening....
G was busy chatting in the background and showing the enormous room to the family, without noticing that my father's luggage and his laptop both were missing.
Me: Pappa is not here, he has left! That cannot be possible, he told me he will be here! What happened? *panicking*
G: *finally looking around and sensing what I just said* Call him up from the landline, see if you can connect.
Me: I am not able to get through, his phone is not reachable. Wait let me call my sister in Delhi, she will surely know!
After speaking to my sister I learned that I was trespassing someone's else's room since my father had checked out. He had tried contacting me several times and had then informed the hotel lobby to pass on the message, that his office people had come to the hotel and there were few international delegates who had a flight to catch from Bangalore, so the car had to leave urgently and they had space for one person. He did not know what we had planned and presumed that water logging would have been better in my area.
My sister suggested us doing the same, get our car and leave to Bangalore since the road is open for a few hours. We needed to be quick and leave Chennai. We rushed to the lobby and called our car from valet only to find out that water was still there inside the car. The car, my loyal Volkswagen was strong and still running. We sat down with the water still inside and went on road not knowing if we will reach our destination.
On the way we stopped by and picked up water and something to eat. En route we stopped to remove water from our car with a mop we managed to get from a local store.
With only a bag full of clothes and nothing else we left Chennai, not knowing when we will be back and how our house is withstanding the fall. Thanks to my efficient sister and my uncle we managed to book tickets in train to Bangalore and from there to Delhi, since airlines had raised their fare to ₹75000 for each ticket in this distressed hour. Only when we reached Bangalore, I felt that the nightmare was over.
It is difficult to think that adversity will effect us, we read in the newspaper or on news feed of such things and never believe that it can actually happen to us as well. It made me think about the question we usually ask people 'If your house is on fire, what are the things that you will take and leave behind?' I believe that comfortably sitting in our houses and answering that question does not do justice to the gravity of the actual situation. We take nothing, we only yearn to be with our loved ones and wish their safety above anything else.
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