Denuded, ripped and ravaged.....apocalypse at 150 kmph!

"kaalo'smi lokakshayakrit pravrddho

lokaan samahartum iha pravrttaH

rte'pi tvaam na bhavishyanti sarve

ye'vasthithaaH pratyaniikeShu yoddhaaH"

"I am time (or death),  the great one,  who causes decay of the worlds, working here for the destruction of the worlds. Even without you, all warriors present in the opposing army will not (always) be "

(Or, in short) "Now I have become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

- Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita

The last time a cyclone had hit Madras it was in 1994; I do not remember much about it, except that it was raining heavily with the wind blowing in all directions. I remember that i could not see anything from the first floor balcony of my house. This time, my being in Madras during the close was itself happenstance with my flight to Bombay being cancelled. On a day of heavy rain, the air traffic takes a hit. On a day when there is a cyclone, the flights get grounded, runways close and airport shuts down - what with the cyclone making a landfall on the city directly.

Everyone was waiting it out; there was no option anyway. The news bulletins on TV started since the morning - the cyclone was to hit that afternoon - warnings, evacuations, debates on how prepared we are. The rain had been intermittent the day before. 

And it did arrive, the hero of the season - the wind / gale or whatever you call it, starting with a gentle breeze and picking up steam thereafter. And how strong did it get! The rain started a drizzle, then a downpour and then it was water in all directions with the wind playing havoc. Power was suspended after prior intimation, as a safety measure. The naked dance started later. The sound of the wind, at 150 kmph, would implant fear into the strongest of hearts , simply because one is powerless against nature. You just cannot do a thing. The cyclone was to cross by 3 pm or so. When it was on, there was complete pandemonium. Everything seemed to be in the air - leaves, barks, branches of trees, paper, garbage, rubbish, particles of what and what not - even dish antennae.

I went outside, a huge umbrella in hand, well after the cyclone was supposed to have crossed. Then it happened, a sudden gust of wind, which appeared a left over, set in. It was an experience of how nature controls us. For once, the umbrella was pulled in all directions. With such a big umbrella, it was impossible to get wet and that day I got fully wet. It appeared as if the rain was even lashing from the bottom! What an encounter it was!

The usual suspects, the trees, started throwing in the towel - the stronger ones shed their leaves and branches; the weaker ones, well, themselves. It is not an easy sight, that of a fully grown tree getting uprooted and falling in front of your eyes, with the sound of fury as background music. Having been fed on a staple diet of Hollywood, I was reminded of disaster flicks like 'Twister',  "The Perfect Storm' and the like. Only this time, I was one of the actors in a real life movie. Nature has a way of showcasing its might, showing who is boss.

The cyclone was fierce, its roar growing by the minute. After a point of time, we all hid inside the house. The house resembled a war bunker where people were hiding to escape a shelling. We were hiding to escape the fury of the barrage of power showcased outside. The next hour or so was jarring with the Dolby effects of the destruction outside. Everything, everyone was powerless. One could only pray. The noise the cyclone made perhaps even made the prayers dissipate in mid air and not reach the Gods above. They couldn't hear us!

And then it ended. The after effects of the naked dance was there for everyone to see. Uprooted trees, fallen vehicles, lamp posts, street lights, wires strewn everywhere - it was like a wild kid gone crazy. It brought the entire bustling city to a standstill.

Then the night descended but the wind blew all night with a whirl, continuing to play in the head. The next day, I spent a couple of hours with a few others removing just one tree from the road! Riding through the city was like riding through a forest with trees and leaves of green everywhere. The IIT Madras, for example,  had a trail of destruction - a mangled mess of green. It has been two weeks and the city is still picking its pieces.

That day, fear had a new name - Vardah!