Out-castled

The news that Mumbai was flooded during last monsoon was just another news to me. I was not at all affected by the calamity and thot abt it as something that happened in a distant land. Almost the same thing happened when I heard abt the Tsunami incident sometime back. Even though I was sorry about the people who got affected, cant really say that I was damn shocked or my life changed because of the news. Again something happening to remote places... remote people.

But day before yesterday, for the first time, I saw and understood what flooding was all about. The area where I stay, HSR Layout happens to be one of the places affected by the heavy rains that ‘rocked’ southern Bangalore. Some of the major water bodies around Silk Board area, Begur lake and Madiwala lake overflowed and water was left free to gush through the residents layouts stringing around outer ring road and Hosur road. I was as usual busy with my weekend activity, ie snoring away to glory, when my roomie woke me up at around 10 in the morning when he returned from his temple visit. The previous night had some heavy rains, and when he left for the temple, everything was normal. When he returned, there was water all around the place. All the roads were under water. Water had not risen to heights more than say half a feet, but it was rising steadily. I stepped out to have a look at the slowly increasing water levels at the cross road leading to our place.

Now, what really shocks me in hindsight is the fact that I was not at all shocked by the entire incident. Is it because my room is on the first floor and there is no realistic chance of water reaching up to that level? Is it because there isn’t too much valuable stuff for me to rescue except for my bike, even in the worst case? Is it because I have become too numb to react to stuff like this? I don’t know.... For me, the sight of water level rising in the road leading to my place, and seeing water slowly entering our car park area, didn’t ring any alarm bells, didn’t cause any panic. It was business as usual for me...

We did a quick strategic planning session and decided to shift base to Indira Nagar where our friends were getting ready for a game of cricket. Changed to our cricketing gear and off we went in my roomies’ jeep. There was a water cover for all the roads until we left HSR area. We had some cricket and spent time until evening at another friends’ place. After supper, we went back to our flooded shelter only to realize that the water level had risen far higher in all the adjacent areas for us to cross. Vehicle was diverted to our friends place without even caring to put an effort to go on foot and check our rented shelter.

Now I am a bit confused. Have my surroundings become completely dispensable for me? I don’t think I am attached to anything around me. I don’t care a damn abt the rented house I stay. I don’t care a damn abt the office where I work from. As long as my left jean pocket has my mobile and my right jean pocket has my credit cards, I am happy and content.

Is everything all right with me??

I had plans to upload some pics that I took on my mob-cam before leaving my flooded house. Dont have the mem-card-reader with me now. May be I will do it later.

Here are the images....

A view from my balcony. No, I was not promised the lake view when I booked the house.		Our life boat.

One of the roads to my house. Fit for a speed boat now :_(		Hovercraft?

An ill fated school. What you see is the first floor.		An ATM in the middle of sea?