Sat, 20 Apr, 2024

Re-Experiencing the Earthquake

By Sabin Pathak

As I woke up, and stood up stretching myself towards the rays of sun peeking through my window, I felt the warmth of golden light. The sky was clear and blue and everything was was quiet and peaceful. It was noon when I arrived from my college. I was just lying on my bed taking some rest. Ding Ding….Ding…Ding….My cell phone rang. “Aasma calling” appeared on my cell phone.

“Hello, Aarya ...What about our today’s plan. Where are we going today?” I heard as I received the call. I was so confused that where should we go. I was supposed to inform to all the friends and decide a destination to go. But I had totally forgotten that. I asked her to excuse me and promised to make sure of it within few minutes. I was so worried at that time and started calling all my friends but the call was not reachable. Finally, I had contacted Barun and he suggested of having a beautiful view of our city, Kathmandu, from Darahara.  As  I had no other ideas, I agreed with him. As the call ended I kept my cell phone on my bed. Shouting voice, “Leave the room fast!!…. fast!!…fast!!” spread over the room and it was like the voice was coming from my cell phone. That voice struck my ear and I was so surprised to hear the voice similar of Aasma without ringing.

I was so afraid at that moment and immediately moved towards next room where rest of my family members were having lunch. I told my mother in worried voice that I heard the voice of Aasma inside my room. I cried, I heard her shouting voice but she was not there.”

Suddenly, I felt that I was shaking.  At the same time my mother was shouting,” Earthquake!!.. Earthquake!!....The dust was falling from the ceiling and the picture frames were swinging like a pendulum. We all moved out of the room in search of open place and we had to pass through a small passage to get there. The situation was so critical that the flower vessels kept on the top of the buildings were falling down. At the same time I got struck by many vessels but nothing happened to me. As we reached on the ground, near our house, the big temblor stopped. Within a few moments the ground was almost full of people.  My mother was so worried for me but I was alright. All my family members were safe but I was so worried about my best friend Aasma.

Although my parents tried me to stop to go there, but I got out from there and ran towards her house which was about five hundred meters from mine. Small aftershocks continued to shake the ground. I passed through the passage and again got struck by pieces of bricks, vessels that fell from the houses. I was on the rush to meet Aasma, so I did not care of those and I did not even have a small wound too. Finally, I reached in front of her house but nobody was there. The house was almost in the situation to collapse and it was very difficult and dangerous to enter inside it. But at that time I was courageous enough to enter the house. She was in her room at the corner.

I was so surprised that she looked bright. Her eyes were twinkling. By that time I came to know that she had power gifted by god and she provided it to me and as a result she was powerless and I was totally safe. We got out from her house and I hugged her. As soon as we got out from there the house broke down with a big cracking sound. I was petrified by that sound and found myself under the open sky in the midnight at Sifal ground. A lot of people were sleeping around me full of ground. Then I realized that it was a dream.

It was the dream I had after experiencing the most devastating earthquake that killed my best friend Aasma.