Cant Get It Off...

Yesterday a series bombs blasted in Delhi. I guess you all know that by now. I was out with my sister-in-law and three year old nephew. We were out shopping in Lajpat Nagar Central Market. After finishing our shopping we had just entered Mac Donalds when suddenly I got a call from my eldest mama (uncle) that television news says there has been three blasts in Delhi. Then within 5 minutes he called to say that there has been another blast.

My brother called asking where we were. By then we had come out and was trying to get an auto back home to my sister-in-law's place. There were loads of panicky people on the road, few policmen, those lucky enough to have their own transport were zooming out, shops were closing, shutters were coming down, police were announcing on the microphone how not to panic and not touch any unknown object etc. We did not realise it that time there was evacuation going on. There were a handful of autos which were being fought over. Usually there are loads of cycle rickshaws. That day there were none, those who were there were all going away. We walked for sometime, my sister-in-law was totally in a panicky mode but thankfully nephew was calm and quiet and walked with us, without making any fuss. Finally we got a rickshaw which took us till the main road. It was utter choas in the main road, my sister-in-law was literally jumping into empty auts with her son. But autowallahs were refusing to go. Finally found a man who was ready to take us and that too for the right amount of money. This is Delhi on normal days you get autowallahs who are ready to rip you off and then on a crisis you meet this nice man who wants the right money, is cool headed and zigzaged his way through crazy traffic and got us into relatively empty lanes and reached us home safe and sound. By then I have had 4 calls from my mama, 2 calls from home, three more from my brother and some other assorted ones. The network was totally jammed and I just could not call anyone. All my Delhi friends were scattered everywhere around the city but there was no way I could reach anyone. It was a pretty helpless feeling.

After switching on the television at home the full extent of the tragedy hit us and also the realisation that how easily it could have been Lajpat Nagar market istead of GK1. We sat watching television reporting all gory details for a long time. Both my sister-in-law and me, we realised that the situation was bad and it was scaring us but we just could not take our eyes off the news.

It was a very shaky day of my life. A perfectly normal and happy evening turned into a nightmare. Also my three year old nephew was there with us, had it been just us, two adults, the equation I am sure would have been very different. But with us being responsible for his well being it added to our helplessness and panic.