Tides

TIDES

KILLER WAVES OF TSUNAMI

Many of you don’t know me as I am not so popular as I am not a rock star, sports star, politician or scientist. I had a small beautiful house……………yes I had that but not now. I have those memories when I used to sit with my Anjel in balcony sharing the cup of coffee and watching tides roaring love songs now and then. They used to come close to the entrance of my house and then returns leaving the message of love on the ground. Those were the blessings of tides which were always cherised by Anjel. Wind full of warmth and love coming far from the sea never allows us to end this coffee time. It was so beautiful moment but not more then my Anjel whom I love a lot. This could be the dream place for anybody in the world. That cool breeze coming from the sea shore gently touches the Anjel and every time she gets closer to me holding my hand gently and I can listen her heart beat clearly which was repeating only three words I LOVE YOU. Drowning sun far away in the sea spreading heavenly colours all over the sky and blue water. This realise both of us that nature is so beautiful and its beauty goes beyond our imagination when we are in love. Yes we are in love and sharing the most romantic time with each other. I was praying in heart God! please stop the time wheel for while, I don’t want to come out of his moment and I know that Anjel was also praying the same. We are lost in each others love and she was dreaming of her future with me keeping her head on my shoulder. I was just looking at her face and doesnt want to blink once.

There were almost 100 families living on the beach we were the yougest among all. This place was the home of specialy old parents left alone by there children. There was an orphanage for blind children where Anjel used to visit every morning with Mrs Agarwal. Mr. and Mrs. Agarwal are in mid-thirties and had no child. They had every luxury but not of being parent. This orphanage given them a family with many children and in that they never missed there own child. I am workng as a jounalist in a reputed news channel. I have to go to Delhi often leaving Anjel alone but I am not worried at all because I know Agarwal couple and this huge sea will take care of everything. I was off to Delhi with a good bye kiss on my cheek. This time I really don’t want to left her alone…I don’t know why but I have to. As I have to work on my dream project which will going to impact the people so hard. This report will going to change peoples thinking regarding the enviroment. This project was very close to my heart and I had put my soul in it.

It was the christmas eve and the whole beach was celebrating. Anjel was sharing this happiness in the orphanage, she called me and I couldnt hear her voice clearly as the music was on full volume. Whole beach was enjoing. I was little annoyed that everybody is enjoing and me with my team busy in making the report. Nevertheless this was my dream project and nothing could be important for me then making this project a huge success. Next mornning I called Anjel and I heard her refreshing voice which composed of words I Love you janu….missing you a lot……come fast I am waiting for you, its too long now. Suddenly the phone got disconnected and after that I tried so many times and every time failed to connect.

Suddenly my eyes glued to the news headlines of the morning that the beach was hit by tsunami. These were only the preliminary reports, and I felt a very unusual kind of pain in my chest. My thoughts were overridden by fear and sorrow, something unexpected and evil happened. I was continuosly trying to call her but failing every time. I just wanted to go back home to accompany my Anjel.

After few hours the videos of that dissater aired on TV. nothing was left, deaths and devastation everywhere. Thousnds of people died and countless people were engulfed by sea. All dream houses on the beach was converted into debris. I was very helpless neither I am getting any news of Anjel nor anyway to reach home. One week later when the conditions got normal, I managed to reach somehow to my home. But I couldn’t found any clue where my dream house gone, its all debris here. Non of those hundred families which were here nor that orphanage where Anjel and Mrs Agarwal used to spend there morning. I visited every rescue camp to get something about Anjel, but got nothing. Suddenly my world came to an end that coffee eve, Anjels last hug, and her last words “I Love you janu….missing you a lot……come fast I am waiting for you, its too long now” were echoing in my heart. I was standing near that sea and questioning about my Anjel. I pleaded to that cruel sea to return my love but it never replied. Why this beautiful sea got that much feelingless! This is the same sea to which looking at I have spend many unforgettable moments, I was pleading, crying but got no replies and went unconcious.

Next day when I opened my eyes I found myself in rescue camp where I could heard only crying of those who somehow managed to save themselves from those killer tides. There I met a blind boy who was from the same orphanage as he was also searching for the same Anjel and her pain was little more then that of mine. As I came close to him before I say anything he recognised me and said “I was waiting for you, my Anjel didi had told that you will come” she always keeps her promise and speaks truth, she won again, finally you came……..he paused for a while and started crying. I can feel the grief of that boy. He was the last person who had seen Anjel last time. I asked him “where is your Anjel didi”? Suddenly few more tears rolled down from his eyes…..his throat got choked and replied she gone with those tides far in the sea and promised me that you will come. I said ,Nobody tried to save her, what about the Mrs Agarwal. The boy told me whole story of that morning.

“After christmas eve party every body returned home from the orphange. Didi taken permission from the warden to take me home with her as I was crying and missing my parents whom I have never seen and met. Didi was everything to me. She used to talk a lot about you and I can feel the fragrance of your love in her every word. I cant see but I can feel that I had mother she has to be like Didi. Next morning she given me lots things to eat, and gifts. She was missing you a lot and then you called her. Yes I remember that and she said “I Love you janu….missing you a lot……come fast I am waiting for you, its too long now” I intrupted him. He continued “ when Didi was talking to you on phone suddenly everything started shaking….earth was shaking…….whole house was shaking……and I don’t know what was happening…she grabbed me her arms and hold me as strong as she can. When the trembling stopped she went out in balcony to enquire what was that moved all. Before she could decide anything I heard her screaming “ oh my God!.....it was coming. Well I don’t know what she is refering to! She picked me up and started running away from the beach as fast as she could. Mrs. Agarwal was waiting for her husband outside her house who went into sea hour ago for sailing. Huge tides of sea was approaching the beach, but the stunned Mrs. Agarwal was trying defy truth that his huband will never return now, sea had engulfed her husband. After a long silence Mrs Agarwal broked in tears, Didi somehow managed to take her away. We were running away to higher place where these tides couldn’t reach. We reached to an old building which is at good height and many other have also taken shelter there. Tide hit the beach strongly and we heard huge thundering sound. I cant see what was happening but Didi told me that every house on the beach was demolished by the tide and everywhere is water. But this was not over yet as people could have relaxed,they saw another tide coming which was even fast approaching and comparetively more dangerous. People was remembring God and screaming for help but it was all use less at that time, the best option would have been to empty this building and run away from the sea. Some ran away including Didi who was trying her best to save my life and many decided to quit, Mrs. Agarwal was one of them. Instead of running away from the sea she walked into the sea, into the killer tide, as her husband was calling her. Didi can’t do anything except crying and shouting “ come back Mrs. Agarwal, no one is there please come back. And Mrs. Agarwal vanished in the brown water of sea which was normally blue. As we went deep in the city, roads were flooding with water and everybody was leaving the city. People in cars, tempos, trucks everywhere was a restlessness nobody was listening other. Didi saw an Army truck, Armymen were evacuating the place, truck was jam packed with peoples. Didi ran behind the truck, it slowed down a bit and then people have seen another tide entering the city. Thundering sound, screming peoples this is what I had heard. Didi was shouting “stop” stop” please stop take us inside. After hearing her voice somebody outstreched his arm he was none other then Mr. Agarwal. Didi was shocked to see him alive, but time was running out she somehow managed to put me inside the truck. Truck started moving faster and it was more difficult for breathless Didi to run more. Chasing killer tide won the race and after that I haven’t heard her voice. When things settled down little bit Mr. Agarwal returned to the beach in hope that he could find her wife.

The boy started weeping and I can feel the pain of losing Anjel in his tears too. I enquired about Anjel to almost everyone present there but got diappointment eveytime. Anjel was lost and my heart is not ready to accept this truth. Then I met Mr. Agarwal and told him to start life again and move to Delhi with me. He replied “ Mrs. Agarwal was gone for the search in the sea and I will wait for her untill she returns. I am not going anywhere I can feel the presence of my wife and her love.” I will live here only. I can’t argue more on this to Mr. Agarwal. I went to the Railway station and waitng for the train to Airport. That little boy was the only hope to live for me and he was sleeping in my lap. The train arrived and I started approaching toward the coach my last hope in my lap. Suddenly the boy waked up as he has dreamt something unusual. He paused for a while as he was observing something. And then he said “ she is somewhere here, I can feel her presence, I can smell her fragrance, she is searching for you”. I thought the boy got mentally disturbed with all this. I ignored his uttering, but he was continously repeating the same. The train was before me and all I could do is to get inside it and reach Delhi to start life again, which is very difficult for me. All the memories got enligtened as I was getting inside the coach. Suddenly the voice I heard a crackling voice “stop”, I thought that it was an illusion. Again I heard the same I turned back and saw …….. what I couldn’t believe. She was my Anjel and coming towards me. She was before me full of tears in eyes, which are not stoping at all. As the whole blue sea was shrinked in her tears.

We all went to Delhi leaving all memories behind that dream house, that beach,that romantic eves, blue sea everything. Anjel died in amonth after reaching Delhi. She was in contaminated and toxic water that came with tides for a week or so……she developed an uncurable infection in her lungs. Before leaving this world she donated her eyes to the little boy Rahul. Now he can see the world with her Didi’s eyes. Whenever I look into his eyes I found my Anjel’s face smiling and accompanying vertually. I can feel her presence, her love, her goodbye kiss, her head on my shoulders, her heartbeat repeating only three words I LOVE YOU. And in reply I have dedicated her this song on the Guiter………which was her last gift.

teri nigaho ke

teri hi raho ke

karib se gai thi jindgi

tune kyo dekha na

tune kyo jana na

sikayte karu ab ya nahi

thami he ye sanse kyo

bhari he ye ankhe kyo

sahu kese ab ye fasle

bin tere bin tere bin tere

kaise jiyo me bin tere

kuch bacha hi nahi darmiya

sanse leti he ab ye duriya

dil he ye nahi janta, raho me

hath se hath chute the kha

kyo nazar ke kinare

tute he khwab sare

kyo............. tu bta

suna suna sma he

khali khali jaha he

ab mera...................

bin tere bin tere bin tere

kaise jiyo ab me bin tere

written by

Azam Khan