I remember the blast

In the year 2009 somewhere in July, we had a blast in the house. It was 3 am and I heard it. For those of you thinking this is about a big party, sorry for the disappointment. I am talking about a real blast like a crash and boom. We woke up and the bedroom door, torn from its hinges, had fallen on Sumit. Thank god for distance between the bed and the door that it did not hurt him.

Initial thoughts, we told each other that it was an earthquake. I called up my mother to ask her if they were fine and she told me there was no earthquake. In a state of confusion, we rushed to our parent’s room. There was shattered glass everywhere and every door of the house was plugged out, even the bathroom doors. Our parents were equally unsure of what had happened. There was a small fire in the living room and my first instinct was to rush to the balcony to get some water. Till now I didn't realize what had happened, no one did.

“What happened?”, I asked a neighbor peeking out of the window. He said he heard a blast and clueless where it happened. Neighbors rushed and someone got a fire extinguisher. The kitchen was a mess and it was in shreds, and the kitchen sink was uprooted.

In the moments that followed, I rushed down (as we stayed on the first floor) and called a fire engine. It started to dawn that it was only our house and it was only us.

The reason why I write this blog is cause of this havoc virus has disrupted everything that we can possibly think of. Now how is this blast related to the troublesome virus? I realize that every extreme situation, unexpected or expected, gives us something to learn from. There are things we may not understand immediately but in dire situations, most importantly, train your mind to stay calm. It's the only way you can think clearly.

After the lpg explosion at our house, which was caused due to a faulty pipe, we always and always switch off the regulator, irrespective. We had a fire extinguisher for some years immediately after the blast and then we forgot about it. So, the impact of a trauma lessens over the years. 

Years after the COVID-19 horror is over, besides washing hands for 20 seconds, is there something else that you will remember?