In the Inundation Days!

The time is 9:00pm. After accomplishing the supper-related usual chores, Neerada pulls a chair conveniently to her side on the loggia of her first floor. Leisurely she lies in an inclining way on that reclining chair. As her name (meaning cloud) indicates, she is fond of clouds, especially rains. She likes, no loves to sit in the sit-out and has a special affinity to observe relentless rains. She is very much thrilled now because the rain puts on demonstration all its talent, accompanied by the orchestration of a thunder. Her mind is full of delight at the ‘light and sound’ show, taking place on the stage so vast.  

Neerada, a middle-aged middle-class female was brought up in the remoteness of an under-developed village. But of course she had had the college education and that was the reason why she could obtain the partnership of Bharat, her dear better half. He was, for two years senior to her in an Arts and Science college in the town, near her village. He is an urban-brought up gentleman with an urbane outlook, and moderate too. Their meeting in the college was an accidental incident. One day, Neerada was emerging hurriedly out of her class, as if she was participating in a heat. A sudden action of running and turning back made her hit Bharat, who was walking along the common corridor. The outcome was further meetings and weaving a love-trap and eventually, she was locked up by him in the wedlock.

 Neerada, solely forgetting the surroundings, has got engrossed in the mesmerizing performance of Nature. Time is growing old and reaching ten by now. Suddenly Neerada notices that the water level is rising at a very fast pace. Her father-in-law, a widower, who is not in her thoughts presently, looms in her mind, all of a sudden. He is an arthritic patient, whose limbs show reluctance to move fast, far. Rapidly she reaches downstairs. Looking at the compound she understands one thing that the scope of escape is slim.

Their car is lying in the car porch in a ready to move condition. Alas! Neerada contains courage little or no to drive their car.

 She has undergone the learning process and has obtained a license also. In the initial stage, the four-wheeler was lucky to have its steering wheel in Neerada’s hands, but she allowed it only in her husband’s presence. Of late she doesn’t trouble the license card and the card, expressing gratitude is very peacefully resting in her bag. Despite the suggestion from her hubby to have a practice in the mornings, she keeps herself far from the car when alone. And now her husband is not there because he has gone to his native city on account of some rent-settling matter of the house in his property. The offspring two are away on their studies.

The situation is turning intricate. She goes to her cell phone, not found, “Don’t know where I have kept it”. She is very particular to keep the phone in a particular spot, but somehow this time, it got slipped. No supply of electricity; morning onwards the supply was cut off sporadically and so the inverter charge is exhausted. She lifts her father-in-law’s phone and tries to contact the husband, ‘the line is busy, please try again’ dictum is the response. Spends she some time on that trial and the repetition of the same thing by the phone forces her to leave that plan.

When she sat for long in the loggia, didn’t notice the happenings went on. In the muted moonlight on the street, the scenes are not vivid also. Her panic gets to its peak, “What to do, oh, God! No idea,” looks she around; “it seems, in the neighbour’s dwellings nobody there. We are stranded, nobody around for help."

Gathering some audacity, she goes out to the street and walks a few metres to observe the things going on around. Unnerved inhabitants, humans and animals making all hullabaloos, run hither thither, carrying possible belongings. The water with no mercy has started masking everything-huts, mansions, vehicles, plants and so on. She falls in a state of mayhem. Their house stands at a higher level and hence water has not entered the house but covers their compound and the road.

   

With all sorts of scares in the psyche and visage her in-law’s shivering voice echoes, “Mole*,... how... will we go...? I can’t... do... anything”. I can’t drive also, you know.

She curses her laziness in driving the vehicle, not heeding attention to her spouse’s repeated suggestion. Though the flood is swelling up these days, Neerada does not expect as that much weighty it would turn. Now no other go other than to succumb to the inundation that is triumphant over man and Nature. Her visual organs are ready to rain and lips to scream, for these two souls cannot see their dear ones once more. But of no use, none are there in aid, all have vacated and moved to shelters.

In a fraction of a second a sudden illumination hit her mind, “If we are here, we will die, if I drive, then also we will meet our end. Why can’t I take the risk, when both are the same?”

She takes the key of the four-wheeler, keeps the door opened, enters the room, and helps her in-law to be into the car. The car wades with rapidity half-wheel deep, splashing the water, “Tomorrow’s newspapers will have the breaking news to gulp - A forty-two-year-old lady with her father-in-law got drowned in the torrents while trying to escape from the flood in their car”.

It really astounds her, as she herself doesn’t know how they have reached the rescue camp safe and sound. “Indeed, some invisible hands have driven us here,” she believes. Otherwise oh! In these inundation days.....!