http://oheraldo.in/node/2333?PHPSESSID=381496c85b7387264735b864578a2fd1
Goan experiences Mumbaiites spirit during monsoon fury [Herald] BY SHARON MASCARENHAS This is the story of a pure blooded Goan who faced the wrath of Mumbai these past three days. My college is situated at Churchgate and Im doing a course in MSc nursing over there. But twice a week we have to attend a management lecture at the Juhu campus. It was the dreaded Tuesday when our teacher told us that classes will be cancelled because of heavy rains. I thought that it was funny to cancel classes because of rain, but all teachers coaxed us to return to Churchgate from Juhu as soon as possible. Till then, I never knew the severity of the situation. I panicked when none of the rickshaw drivers were willing to stop and drop me to the station to catch a train to my paying guest house. In that tension, all my classmates scurried in different directions. The crowd advised me to walk towards the station. I had no option but to walk. Not knowing Mumbai roads too well, I landed in a ditch and that was the end of my books and clothes. With my sprained ankle, I dragged myself to the station and to my shock, all trains had stopped running. Some people assured me that they would start running in a couple of hours. I bought myself a Parle biscuit and sat on the platform. I waited from 3 pm to 5 pm cold, alone and barefoot (I had lost my slippers in the heavy flow of water on my way to Santa Cruz station from Juhu). Someone told me that if I walk to Andheri I might get a harbour line train. At 5.15 pm, I started my barefoot walk along the track to Andheri. When I reached there in a couple of hours, I saw more people stranded there and no sign of any moving train. I also met a classmate who is a nun and she offered to take me to the convent. But when we hit the road (by this time my ankle was red and swollen), there was a human chain outside Andheri station, telling us not to venture any further as the water level was neck deep. At this, I started crying (I know its stupid for a 24-year-old nurse). The volunteers took us to a government shed and asked us to sit there the whole night. No food, no water and cold clothes. I shivered the whole night and the sad sight site of babies and children crying made me even more depressed. The only thing that kept me going was calls from my family and friends, but after sometime that mode of support too was lost as my battery gave way. Wednesday dawned and at 4 am, we were told to vacate the school. We visited all bus stops and the station too, but there was no mode of transport. The nun and I then decided to walk to the convent of Holy Shepherd. We started our walk against the currents for almost 2-and-half hours, in the dark murky waters. I did not glimpse down for once fearing to see in what I was walking. But as it became brighter I saw that I was walking through all possible shit of Mumbai, including dead fish, animals, worms, insects, rotten vegetables and fruit floating in it. Amidst everything else were broken cars, buses and houses, but not the spirits of the people. After what seemed like eternity, we reached the convent and the sisters there really did the best they could to make me feel better. It was only the next morning when the situation stabilised, I left the convent with a pair of slippers from the sisters. Thursday morning and after wading in hip-level water for 2 days, the ankle deep water seemed like such a relief. When I reached the station, the trains were miraculously running to Churchgate. All my roommates were waiting to listen to my 48-hour adventure story. I felt proud of myself, a survivor. I surpassed the worst of floods in Mumbai and today, when anyone tells me that its raining heavily in Goa, I smile to myself saying that Ive been through worse. I still remember volunteers helping us cross roads to safety in chest level water at Andheri and another man forcing a packet of Tiger biscuits in my hand. Ill never forget this incident. It has made me a stronger person. (Hailing from Sarzora-Salcete, Sharon is in Mumbai for her post graduation degree at SNDT Womens University)
