For the first time in my life I experienced an earthquake at around 1:30 a.m. in the morning. It is not that in the past twenty six years there hasn't been a single occurrence of earthquake in Kolkata, a city I have been staying in for almost that time. But this is the first time I realized that the earth has shaken.
It is strange that earthquakes mostly hit in the middle of the night. Like ghosts. What are they afraid of? Lack of impact? Less loss of lives? And less media coverage? This nightmarish attitude of earthquake is the reason I never felt its presence before. Every time (twice or thrice I suppose, not counting the Tsunami) next morning I would be informed that it did happen. And I would miss the opportunity to watch things toppling or water in a bucket becoming turbulent. Remember those were the days I used to go to a school and was just another kid in the block, following a daily routine prescribed by parents. Those were the days of no late nights. Things have changed much in the past few years. My sleeping habit has undergone a sea change. 1:30 a.m. isn't exactly the time I would fall asleep. I was sitting on my bed working with my laptop only to notice that my head is spinning. I thought I must have fallen ill. Then I found the doors that were open fluttering like a flag on the pole hinting that earthquake has arrived the town. It happened for at least 30 seconds! The simultaneous cawing of crows and shrill shouts of the inmates of Irene Curie Hall confirmed it was 'that queer shake' with epicentre near the Andamans.
It brought with it the haunted memories of Latur (1993) and Gujarat (2001), the cries and whispers they brought to us. And the resilience of the Japanese, their way to live with it...
It is strange that earthquakes mostly hit in the middle of the night. Like ghosts. What are they afraid of? Lack of impact? Less loss of lives? And less media coverage? This nightmarish attitude of earthquake is the reason I never felt its presence before. Every time (twice or thrice I suppose, not counting the Tsunami) next morning I would be informed that it did happen. And I would miss the opportunity to watch things toppling or water in a bucket becoming turbulent. Remember those were the days I used to go to a school and was just another kid in the block, following a daily routine prescribed by parents. Those were the days of no late nights. Things have changed much in the past few years. My sleeping habit has undergone a sea change. 1:30 a.m. isn't exactly the time I would fall asleep. I was sitting on my bed working with my laptop only to notice that my head is spinning. I thought I must have fallen ill. Then I found the doors that were open fluttering like a flag on the pole hinting that earthquake has arrived the town. It happened for at least 30 seconds! The simultaneous cawing of crows and shrill shouts of the inmates of Irene Curie Hall confirmed it was 'that queer shake' with epicentre near the Andamans.
It brought with it the haunted memories of Latur (1993) and Gujarat (2001), the cries and whispers they brought to us. And the resilience of the Japanese, their way to live with it...
