Navaraj Baral: A day to remember (25th April, 2015): Earthquake in Nepal

Not many days in our life has a life time impact. As I am walking through my memory lane, all I remember is a shaky day. Yes, everything was shaking like hell. Assembling all the bits and parts, it was like a sci-fi movie where world was about to end. A movie ends within 2 hours but its ending was not definite. I was watching movie and all of a sudden it was trembling. For a glimpse of a moment I tried to ignore it thinking a heavy truck was passing through but as the shakes grew bigger and continuous, I realized it was an earthquake. I had read what to do during earthquake several times but when the time came I didn't know what to do. I was confused whether I should stay inside or go out. I remember trying to go out but the shakes were so huge that it was difficult to conquer. I managed to come out anyway but don’t remember the details. Now I feel that I was not fully conscious. I saw people gathered around me crying, lying unconscious and praying god. I could see fear for death and love towards life in everyone's eye and that made me scare even more. The day was gloomy and sky was creepy. It looked like the weather was espousing the quake and the rain from nowhere was a terror. I was in an open ground with 90 people around me. Considering the area of ground I would say it was densely populated. People were blabbering and giving all kinds of viewpoints. They acted like they were meteorologist, scientist, astrologists and earthquake specialists. I thought that the stupid and nonsense ideas people were spreading had some relevancy until it went over board when one of them said, the quakes were caused by the movement of gigantic snakes holding the earth. No doubt the ideas made me smile in such a panic situation too. As the hours were passing by I could feel several quakes though they were smaller than the initial 7.8 magnitude. I had longest day of my life with my heart in the hand. I was fantasizing only the worst. News and views from everywhere was coming with doubtful authenticity and it was panicking people. I had a feeling like we all are going to die and we are waiting for the moment to come. I don’t know how long is this all going to traumatize me but until now I feel the quakes though they don’t prevail. I don’t know what to say when I heard a five storey building came flat, buried hundreds of people and they were screaming for help from inside. I can't even imagine how their relatives felt when they got the message of Save Me in their mobiles and yet could not save.

It was a lifetime experience but was not wanted for. For all those who can relate me I would like to say, whatever life throws at you even if it brings agony, just be courageous and battle through it. Remember that strong walls shake but never collapse.

Photos after the earthquake in Nepal

Victims of earthquake camping