[All characters, names and situations are purely imaginary. A resemblence to any person living or dead or a situation will be a pure coincidence. Few of the images and informations are resourced from internet. But the story as a whole is a property of www.vinaypmysore.blogspot.com and copying in any form is prohibitted.] We were on our way to saavanur, near Karwar in north Karnataka as part of our weekend outing. Well, I forgot to introduce us. Myself, Siddharth (sid/siddhu), a civil engineer, this is santhosh, my close friend, a Software techie and that’s srivatsa joshi (sree), another close friend of mine, a lecturer. We were going to attend sree’s cousin’s wedding at saavanur. To visit that place of natural scenic beauty at such a time when weather forecasters alert on alarming levels of rivers and lakes due to heavy rains, that was just an official reason to convince our parents. Although we did get warned by our parents that the months of September to November are no good to be there, we are young bloods and who can stop us?
I had never been to any hilly section, so, I was timid to drive my jeep on those hairpin bends and narrow U-turns and moreover I didn’t want to miss the passing scenic beauty. Sree was handed the steering wheels and we sat facing backwards so that we could see those green hillocks covered with mist, the hide and seek of clouds and sun, and the cool breeze. We were about to take a turn from the national highway towards Karwar and the thick dark couds which almost hid sun for about an hour on our way, started thundering and a soft drizzle started. By the time we reached the bus stop point near that village where we were supposed to be received, it wasn’t a drizzle anymore. We saw a fat dark man covered with a half cut gunny bag carrying umbrellas running towards us through the rain, who was incharge of our reception. We reached the sree’s place.
It was raining, raining, and raining.
The marriage was on next day and rituals had already started. Although, it was a wedding, I could see a hidden fear and silent prayers in the eyes of people over there. But, I had no time to research on that. Afterall, we were on our weekend and we were supposed to enjoy and have fun. Almost all old people were talking about lakes, rivers, dams, rain and Floods in panic tone. Women were praying in a low voice while they worked, that the marriage goes well. We didn’t have any clue except that there were warnings of floods. “But why the hell are they so worried about rain? This region gets the heavy rains every year. It’s nothing new! Or may be they do this panicking every year”, I thought. I even didn’t know how a flood would occur, but I swear I never wanted to know it literally.
The wedding was over, safely on friday. All of them were going to visit their religious place about a 100 miles from savanur as part of rituals after the marriage and we three were given the custody of house until they return on Sunday night. We planned to go to the nearby ‘Bhadra’ hillock which was supposedly the tallest among all in the vicinity from which one could see the bird’s eye view of the surrounding villages, in the early morning of sunday. It’s needless to mention, it was still raining.
I was quite a sensitive and hygienic guy. I don’t remember when was the last time I got drenched in rain before I went there. Even Sree didn’t know that I was drinking only the mineral water I had taken there, and not the local water. I never forgot to wash my hands after shaking hands with those people especially at the time of swine flu epidemic. Yes, it was too much. But I was born urbanite and a little extra touchy. We reached the hill top amidst rain with some difficulty and took snaps inside the Bhadra temple. As all 3 of us were almost exhausted, we slept in there, after finishing with the snacks we carried.
I heard some strange sounds apart from the ear throbbing sound of Thunders and rain drops. It was like a screaming noise of hundreds of people from far. I woke up and walked to the view point edge of the hill in search of the source of the sound. I was shocked, actually a lot lot more than shocked. I saw a stampede of people running as though for their survival, they were shouting, screaming “flood… flood”. On the other side, I saw a huge tide of gushing river bulldozing everything that came in its way. In seconds I could see it demolishing houses, the coconut trees were seen falling in no time, the school building collapsed down, the buffaloes and cows, unable to escape the gush, were getting drowned. The temple in the village was getting partially submerged. For a moment, I rubbed my eyes hoping it as a terrifying dream. But the picture did not change. 
Indeed it was getting worse by every second. On the opposite side of the hill from here was the sree’s cousin’s house we stayed. By the time I understood the reality that it was a flood, the other two were awake and we decide to run as quickly as possible towards our jeep parked at the foot of the hill near savanur which still had a few more minutes before getting flooded. Whether it was race against time or the flood, we lost it in a fraction of seconds. Our jeep by the river side was no obstacle to the gush and we could do nothing but scream like everyone else. Although we were on an elevated side of the hill foot, the water level was rising quickly and we saw the bridge as the only left hope to move out of the village towards karwar. But we were no match to the speed of the flooding river that was headed towards the bridge. But that was the only option for our survival. We reached the bridge and we could see the monstrous river hungry to swallow the bridge. Santhosh and Sree moved very quickly almost to the other side. They shouted, “come on sid. Hurry up ! Run faster…”.
When I was about to step on the bridge, I heard the screaming from behind, “ Somebody save us, help please…”.
I saw a small girl and a boy with their legs stuck below the fallen wall of their house, shouting hopelessly. I looked at the gushing flood on one side, the innocent help seeking eyes of those kids on another side and my friends calling me on the other side of the bridge. It was the toughest decision I had to take in few seconds of time. I could not leave those innocent lives die. I ran fast towards the house paying no attention to the shouting voice of santhosh and sree from the other side, pulled out the two children from the ruins, tried to carry them over the bridge. They started calling their dad and showed me a half stranded body beneath 
the fallen walls. I left them at an elevated side of the hill and ran towards the ruined house to pick the man. In no time, the river tore the bridge apart and suddenly the house got submerged. I tried to run back and take the kids a little higher over the hill, while the guys screamed “Sid ? Sid ?“. Suddenly a coconut tree fell down infront of me and its branch bashed me away. I fell unconscious.
When I opened my eyes, I saw santhosh, sree and water all around. We were moving on a boat to a safer place from where we were to be picked up by a chopper back to Bangalore. Afterall, I was the only son of minister, Nagarajappa. He had arranged our safe lift off from the flooded area. We reached the rehabilitation centre and were asked to wait for an hour until the chopper arrives.
It was a hell. There were thousands of people rendered homeless. There were pitiful sounds of grunting and crying everywhere. Many of them were lying on the floor unconscious. I couldn’t guess how many of them were already dead and how many were about to. I couldn’t count how many children were left as orphans, how many families had lost their sole bread earners, how many lost their limbs, eyes and minds.
I couldn’t stop my tears when people pounced on the truck that came to supply them food
packets showing no courtesy to the pleading hungry children, when some women who couldn’t get a packet for their hungry babies, stood disappointedly looking, as the truck started off to leave after distributing all the food packets. It was an irony that although one could see only water all around, they had to struggle 
for drops of drinking water to quench their thirst. They were fighting for their chance to get a sip at the only tap in the building. Some who couldn’t wait, even drank the filthy flood water. No doubt, I was as hungry and thirsty as they were. But we were given mineral water and clean food, because the officials knew whose son I was. I sipped a little water and ate just one idli and gave away the rest to a woman and her children.
Then, I remembered of the children I rescued near the bridge 
and enquired sree. I was taken near them in another room. Those innocent kids were asleep like angels of god, little knowing that they no more have their parents. I kissed on the wilted cheeks of the small boy and the girl. When they woke up and ran up to me and hugged, I thought they would ask for food. But they asked, “where are our mom and dad?”. I felt like my heart was squeezed and I was dumbstruck. Our chopper had arrived and we had to leave. I searched my pocket to give them some money. But all I could get are the credit cards, ATM cards and a few coins. I had lost my mobile too. I borrowed two 100 rupees notes from sree and kept in the pockets of each and asked them not to cry and promised that their parents will come if they go to sleep. They agreed and said, "Bye bye uncle". We reached Bangalore. 
When I woke up the next morning in my bed room, mom was sitting beside me. She kissed on my forehead with a great sigh of relief “thank god you are alright”. At that moment when I thought that who would be there to say these words to those little unfortunate children, my eyes were filled. I told mom everything. I was not the old jolly-go guy anymore. I was severely confused about the principles of life and nature. “How can I sit inside an AC cabin in the office when so many people are rendered homeless? How can I have an appetizer soup before lunch when people are struggling for a piece of bread? What is the use of this fame, power and money when I couldn’t save a man getting drowned in floods? What can I do mom? What can I do?”, I cried on my mother’s lap. She said, ”siddhu, don’t be so upset. You are an educated person, a son of a minister, a civil engineer, MD of a construction company. I think there should be something you can do”, while she wiped the tears in my eyes. As ever, my mom is my best teacher. She gave me the powerful moral tonic. I kissed her hand and stood up to get ready for the office. I kept thinking about the possibilities of doing something for those people while I got ready.
Mom said while I got in to the car, “Hey siddhu, your girl friend, Aditi was also very worried about you. She had come to see you yesterday when you were asleep. She said she will be seeing you at office today”. “Ok, thanks mom”. I stammered for a while and asked, “did I ever tell you that she is my girl friend?”, just to confirm whether I have already told the matter or not. “No, I just guessed so. Isn’t she?”, she smiled like a hunter who caught his prey. I controlled my smile and started off the car saying, “Bye Mom”.
I went to see the heaven of Mother Nature this weekend. But, got back seeing the hell.
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Although this story is not real, the miseries and loss the people in this region incur due to excessive rains and floods are real. And it is worst this year (2009) with more than 2 lakh people rendered homeless. Do your bit to help them and keep the Humanity alive.
“Give to the world the best you can and the best will come back to you.”
Only the mature and sensitive followers of Indian cricket, of the generation that grew up watching Sachin Tendulkar's Tons, Saurav Ganguly's bold straight drive sixes and your supportive presence in most of both such circumstances would understand why the true Gentleman of the Gentleman's game hung his boots today. 
Ask every Indian cricket fan or rather every Indian of the above quoted generation as to who is 1st in their favorite list. You know what many would say. You don't know what many others would say. But ask them who is 2nd in their list. There can't be anyone but you.
Now, I have as many questions as yourself. I know you will figure out way too sooner. But I cannot. 
