Midnight, and a guy ( 6'3 - no one else could because the water was around 5 and a half feet) comes in, says school children were rescued by NM students and are being kept in the classes.Now the guys needed torches to keep the children from panicking in the dark.
There is some bad news too. Three guys from DJ Sanghvi, SVKM's Engg college- have died in their car which was stranded in the water...A few torches are collected, and off he goes into the darkness again.
Somehow we manage to pass the night,and greet the morning with fresh hopes..but its not the end yet, there is still a lot more to happen..
Morning brings with it the sight of a flooded lane - a Bajaj Pulsar is immersed upto its petrol tank - two sewer rats are jumping about on an auto's roof - a guy is actually swimming in that water
( !! Yikes !!) - and more rain ...it seems like we're stuck for another day . Some good news follows - the mess guy manages to get a stove running and we are getting poha for breakfast ! wow !
After a hearty meal of poha and being tired from the lack of sleep, some guys wander off and try to catch up on it. Meanwhile, guys have started to come back from the college - they tell us of the children who were rescued and their parents who came to take them home, but got stuck in the rain - actor Sachin Khedekar too was among one of the parents- but he luckily found his children quickly and went back. Our college guys went around in the water asking for food, the SVKM also sent them food somehow - the entire faculty was in the college all of Tuesday night - by morning, all except 12 children had been claimed.
Seniors helped us out in the food and water department by sending packets of Maggi, biscuits (unknown to us in the hostel, some parts of Juhu were already up and running by then), bisleri bottles taken after forcing a stranded truck- hope begins to glimmer again !
Slowly, ever so slowly, it seems that the water level is receding - yes - I can see more of the bike's fuel tank - after an hour - the tip of its front mud guard - after another two hours - the front wheel !! yahoo !! The water is indeed going down. Mercifully, the rain has also stopped.
Raghu, a friend who stays in a PG nearby, stayed overnight in the hostel because his room was half filled with water - is anxious to go and check his stuff out. We leave the hostel, wading in knee deep (thankfully !) water, and are surprised by what we see ahead - the ganda nala water mixing up with the standing rain water - and - dry land up ahead ! Also seen on the road are stranded cars- a Merc too - the entrails of a dead animal (ugghh ) and after a dry stretch - some more water. The road to Raghu's room is logged with 2 ft high water - but by now, that's a walk in the (water) park for us!
We reach his room to see the marks left behind by the water - they are slightly higher than the Kinetic parked there.Chaos greets us inside the room - shoes are floating , the room stinks and it seems like a lot of stuff has been lost - Thankfully Raghu's landlady had removed most of the stuff that was lying around, so its not a total loss any way. We now proceed to the cupboard - water has spoilt his Sony discman and some other electronics goods - but mercifully his original certificates are intact!
A quick review of the situation, a little inquiry from the landlady - and of course -
keeping the ganda naala and the dead animal in mind - we conclude that we should get of Juhu as soon as possible - because the conditions are ripe for the spread of an epidemic. Unfortunately, news about road and rail transport is sketchy- but we decide to take a gamble. Raghu picks up some clothes, and we head back to hostel.
Back in the hostel, and we realise that all the other guys have come to the same conclusion - the sight of an overflowing 'tabela' just behind the hostel has made them realise that disease is not far away. Some one says that he has spoken with some faculty members and has learnt that college will be closed until Monday.A mighty roar erupts from the guys, and all of them start to make plans of going home...I have not been able to contact my uncle till then, so I think of tagging along with Raghu and Hari, who are going to Pune. We pack our clothes in a jiffy, and move out of the hostel,having no idea of where to go and how. A cop at the next intersection tells us to go to the highway, where we may get a bus to Poona ...any how , after many trials and tribulations, we find out that we cant go to Pune because the road is closed..Hari suggests we check into a hotel room in Bandra...we catch an auto..realising that we dont have any cash, we try to access an ATM - but no luck - all are down - finally, we manage to find one that works !
Traffic is slow, and I see some amazing things on the road . Citizens are helping to direct traffic, ladies are serving coffe and biscuits to people who have been stranded on the road since the past twenty four hours ...never have I seen something like that..that is Bombay for you ! wow ! I silently raise my hat to those people, amazed at their spirit !
Bandra brings us some bad news. After having roamed around for some time, we find that all rooms and all hotels are booked...but wait...there's a room in a hotel in Khar which will be vacant in half an hour...but its price is um..pretty steep...even after pooling our resources, it is a big deal for all of us...nevertheless, putting pathar on our hearts, we agree ..and spend a comfortable night there...
Next morning - a hot shower and a shave later - I try to switch on my mobile - and mercifully - it works !! I silently thank God...he's saved me from another financial disaster...and sms my cousin..she replies back and tells me that everything is fine, and that I can come back home !
Whew ! I heave a sigh of relief ! Quickly go to Khar road station - board the local to Dadar - take a taxi to Sion - take an auto to Chembur - one hour and 80 rupees later, I am home !! Pig out on the toasts made by chachi, and hit the sack like I havent slept in two days ! Thank god - The adventure is over !!
PS : Hrithik Roshan lives just across the girls hostel - he was kind enough to carry two girls across the water and into the hostel when they got stranded ! Cheers to Hrithik for that -- Guess the girls will talk about it for the rest of their lives !!
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