The Earthquake

I was typing in my laptop when the earthquake started shaking me at around 6.23pm on Sunday, 18^th September, 2011. My laptop was on my bed, and I was on a stool. It’s not a comfortable position because I had to stoop a little to be able to put both my hands on the laptop keyboard.

My daughter, Prakriti, 7, was reading her homework. She was sitting next to me on bed. There was no electricity, so we, my daughter and I, were working in the light of a lamp.

When I felt the first tremor, I took it as a normal shaking of the objects inside the room because of the vibration. My house is nearby the main road, so I often feel vibrations whenever a heavy vehicle passes by.

At first, I didn’t think it otherwise. But when the tremor became stronger and consistent, the idea of earthquake flashed in my mind. Suddenly, I was in panic.

‘Oh dear! The earthquake!’

When these words escaped out of my mouth, my daughter, who had already felt the shaking and was looking at me aghast, screamed and jumped into my lap. I held her firmly with my right hand and tried to soothe her. But no word came out of my mouth.

I slowly arose and took stand against the nearest wall. I dragged my daughter with me.  

‘God! When will it be gone?’, I prayed.

Meanwhile, my wife, sister-in-law and mother also came rushing toward us and held us tightly. The ground had become a cradle, and we the babies in it. Helpless! And forced to be swinging.

Even though the ground under me was trembling, I was sure that my house was not going to be demolished so easily. It is a non-storied house. Therefore, I did not have the panic which my neighbours had at the time. That’s why, I did not run out of my house as they did during the earthquake. I saw they were running on the road in search of a safer place! They made such big houses using their earning of whole life. And now, they were looking for safety somewhere else! What an irony! If one’s house cannot provide enough security in the time of need, then what’s the use of it?