My Earthquake Experience:

Rajendra Pudel 8/07/2015 
Roll no: 09
Home work: Narrative and Narratology 
Submitted to: Dr.Hari Adhikari

My Earthquake Experience:

It was Baisakh 11, just few days after my Mphil first semester was over, I left to my home from Kathmandu. It has been quite while I have not been with my family members and friends back home. I was feeling very happy not because first semester was over but because I was going to have loads of fun with my friends as well as mothers cooked food and fresh buffalo milk. Back home I have couple of friends with whom I set out to have drinks with fish of Narayni river at Shiva Ghaat. It was morning of Baishakh 12, listened news along with milk tea. As my friends were already informed about my coming home. I made a call to one of my friend Pradip who is few years senior then me, so I call him Dai and asked him to join for drinks, without killing much time he answered, "Sure, shall we start a little bit early umm, around 11". I also agreed him. 

At exact time he came to my home with other friend Nawaraj. At 11:30 we reached River View Cottage". We ordered one full bottle of whisky Signature and two plate of fried fish, green salad, patato chips and so on.  We placed at Machyang (tall roofed cottage) by the Narayani river so that we could view the river well.We were just finishing our first pack of whisky about make second pack, exactly right time as it happens. I heard the sound like thunder first as if some where some group of people threw explosive bomb. At first I felt strong storm was coming, I looked around the trees leafs but leafs were still, I mean I did not feel any breeze. At the right moment I felt a little shaky, "no I was not drunk, that was just a first pack" we were sure we were feeling little tipsy because of the whisky. I thought for a short moment i felt dizzy until I noticed that all the glasses and all the bottles and whole table trembling my motor bike keys rattling there. Hmm, I thought to myself, we at the same time with same voice shout this might be an earthquake. "it was true that was an earthquake a real earthquake I ever felt." We got up from the chair, tried to go under the table, suddenly Pradip dai said, "its foolish to stay under the table as Machyang never be well made, its only workable so better we rush down." "Exactly" I said.

 I had an earthquake training in Kritipur couple of month ago, we were trained when earthquake hit we should stand in a door frame or get under the table, both were not possible there, I still remember they told something about going to an open space. Then, Slowly not worrying we step down to the ground. When we reached to the open space/ground it was very different, trees, corn field, mountain, electric wire, everything is webbing. I heard people shouting from everywhere "earthquake, earthquake". In such condition you can't think for something stable, as everything shaking. You feel a bit lost as I felt, could not think well. It was like big thunder hit in your yard for a moment your mind became blank. "What to do next". When You only have phobia of death? I couldn’t do anything just hold a tree,and again we hold each other,  heard people shouting "Bhunchalo aayo, Bhuinchaalo…Bhaag/run run! Though we were out in the open space but we all have fear of electric wire, which may kill us if its fall over us. To be honest to say that was like apocalyptic moment for all of us. I looked at my mobile, it was almost 12 noon,58 minute pass 11, we are still on wobbly earth, it seemed as if it is going for long. Let me honestly say one thing, when you are at open space, when you don’t have any fear of things that falls upon you, you really enjoy the wobbling earth. Yes, I felt for few seconds I am on the rocking chair. Suddenly I remembered my home, my parents, my cousin, and my wife. I tried to make a call but it didn’t work, I also tried to call to my wife who was in eastern Nepal for her program, again I am failed to get connected with her, then I realized the situation is very dangerous. We decided to go to home.

 On our way home, I received a call from my wife, her voice was trembling, she asked me, sabai thik chha budo, bhainchalo aayo ta! (is everything allright dear, we got a big quake) "I am alright, I am on the way to home", I replied. I felt little relief when I got call from her. There were a lot of people in middle the road, I didn’t feel to ask anything, as their panic faces was proof of fearful earthquake. My area was fine no any casualties has heard and seen so far. Only most of the people were in the street, they were sharing about their experiences of that moment, "Kastari Hallaako hai!. Though the big tremor has gone but hangover of tremor was still there among people. Until that we have not heard any news outside of chitwan, as mobile network was not functioning. If this is like chitwan, nothing have happened other places too, I felt. So we decided to go back to the restaurant and have remaining drinks and snacks. While we were there, people were saying "Pheri Aayo! Came again!. They were feeling after shock, but none of us has felt the shock probably because we became drunk. Right there I heard Dharahara has fell down and  most of the old heritage has collapsed, we felt very bad when I heard this, I felt how foolish we were, who were having alcohol in such pathetic situation.

 It was 8 pm when I reached home. My parents were very much worried about me, because they cant get connected whole day long, both of them scold me, I had to remain silent because I was wrong to stay out in such situation. I apologized of my wrong doing. That night we sleep outside we didn’t sleep inside the house, fearing another tremor. I made my bed in yard and my parents have already prepared to sleep in the baranda. I did not sleep well because mosquito were biting me, "I should have put mosquito net" I thought,  "but I didn’t care". 

There was still no electricity so I hadn't seen any news on TV  but I heard things are pretty awful in Kathmandu, Gorkha, Dhading.  I was hearing live news update from different district, I realized that many villages outside Kathmandu had been devastated, Barpak of Gorkha which was the EP center of this 7.8 magnitude condition even more pathetic almost all houses have crumbled. The touristic site of Kathmandu valley heritage and old temples had turned to piles of debris. Many have become homeless. I was worried about their condition on monsoon season as monsoon was not that far behind. I felt lucky to be home that day, If I were at Kathmandu life would not have been that easy. Again realized, this has to be made a common problem, we have to be united to rise from this situation. We all have to be healed. I determined to provide relief through our club as soon as possible as much as we can. I saw a candle on the table shake for a few second and it stopped. I thought, "was it tremor, I felt or I saw." Or " was it earthquake hangover that’s in my mind. My father shouted from his bed "Pheri gayo Dhakka", that was indeed an aftershock. It has been 110 days since big earthquake hit our land we are still getting aftershock, more than this some of us still carrying hangover of that massive earthquake.

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- Chitwan Rampur