Nepal Quake Aftershocks.

Posted byAditiChandakPosted inMusingsTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

25th April, 2015 : The day man-made aftershocks won over natural aftershocks.

Two back to back tremors in Calcutta around noon today brought us all out of our buildings onto the roads. For a while, we were all dazed and then after necessary precautions went back to work.

I spent the next hour calling and texting people to ensure they were safe.

Then I came home and checked the news and read all I could about possible aftermaths of the quake.

After a long day, when I finally surfed through social media, I realized I had missed out on the most important task to be done after such an incident!

I forgot to update my Facebook status about how, why, where, when I felt and survived the quake! I forgot to share my survival strategies. I forgot to tell people via my Instagram account how the Calcutta skies looked pre and post storm today.

I realized I wasn’t cool enough like this guy who updated his status as “Feeling tremors. Earthquake?”. He was asked by a friend as to why he was updating his Facebook status instead of running down towards safety. His reply? “I am too lazy to run down 10 floors.” He should thank his stars the tremors felt in Calcutta were not destructive enough. Or else his laziness would have made him pay the final price. Very, very cool. I could never be him, try as much as I may.

Oh and do you know it’s also ‘Happy Earthquake Day’? Another status informed me this. People around me are so intelligent! I wonder where they get their brains from.

These are just two gems out of the countless sparkling stones lying around!

I had so many things to do. And instead all I did was feel gut-wrenchingly sad about all those people who lost their lives, saw their lives fall apart within seconds, are still trying to locate their loved ones, have been stranded and are waiting for help, are looking for the gleam of hope through the mount of rubble, are seeing the might of the Earth first hand. Where’s the proof that I did feel this? Where’s the evidence on the internet about it? I guess this is my evidence.

I did it. I did what all of us so calmly do these days. I just reduced the loss of countless lives to a few dozens of words.

Graciously Yours!

P.S. : How will our souls ever rest in peace?

Published by AditiChandak

Writing is the passion... Thoughts arise, words flow and the excitement never subsides!

34 thoughts on “Nepal Quake Aftershocks.”

      1. Which is why I steer clear of facebook, whatsapp and instagram. If I want to talk, then I text and talk to them at length for hours 🙂

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      2. Which I must say is a very intelligent decision! Save yourself from them as long as you can! Mark Zuckerberg started out well. We lost our way somewhere…

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  4. I feel anger and pity at the same time for these people. The need to show concern has surpassed the need to get concerned. We live in a world of hypocrites who are constantly trying to lose our humanity to become a part of majority.
    People like you are the hope. It takes a lot to speak out one’s heart when none of the ‘cool’ people are watching 🙂

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    1. At times I feel it’s hopeless to write the way I do because it’ll barely affect the people it is supposed to. They’ve lost the sense of purpose, I think. Death is no longer felt, it is grieved for a few minutes till the status is updated. I want people to put their phones aside and stare at the faces of the people who’ve lost someone. I want them to understand how fickle and uncertain life is. Maybe then they’ll consider spending more time with humans.

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      1. Aditi, I will share an experience with you here. A few years back one of my relatives died after a prolonged paralysis. In his funeral, I saw people smiling, talking about shopping, bitching about their in-laws and even cracking jokes. The disgust I was filled with made me ask this question “Why have you come here if you don’t give a shit? To ridicule his family’s remorse?” So people really cannot feel pain outside their immediate families and it’s futile to hope for it. But people like you still exist, and you are not alone in a population of 7 billion. You had an effect on me with this. So yes, your writings do affect people they are supposed to. Don’t lose hope, you are our hope 🙂

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      2. “At times I feel hopeless…” and then people like you come along! Your words instill the faith in me that I’m not alone. There are people who think like me, who genuinely believe in compassion and are not afraid to feel. Thank you so much for sharing the experience. 🙂 We will see better times ahead. We just have to learn where to look!

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  5. You know…right after the earthquake if you watched the news, the way reporters were trying to draw drama out of the people on road was sadly hilarious. I mean the news reporters have forgotten how to potray a “news”. They have become so used to airing gossips only.

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    1. Then I’m glad I stuck to Google news for my news feed! All news channels seem to run after TRPs. I’m sort of relieved I didn’t take up journalism!

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  7. No matter what form the disaster, we need to forget about ourselves and think of others. People from all over the world showed their love and concern for the United States at 9/11. When the tsunami hit Indonesia, forces rushed to get supplies and help into the area…again, people from EVERYWHERE. Nepal needs our help. Give financially thru a trusted organization.
    Thank you so much for this post.

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    1. Very true! There has been massive destruction there and they need all help they can.. Even 12 hours later, the aftershocks are continuing. Hopefully, humanity won’t let them down.

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  8. I was really disturbed watching the situation of those people on tv, I thought how would they cope up with earthquake destruction they saw in front of their eyes!
    And I think some mad people feel themselves safe enough by updating their status rather help themselves and others in need.

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