The Earthquake That Jolted Me
Today is day 1 of Chaitra month of the Hindu lunar calendar. With Chaitra Shukla Paksha begins the Hindu new year; we start following the next lunar calendar from today. It is a day of new beginnings. Navreh, as us Kashmiris call it, is a beautiful festival of happiness, food, good wishes, and love. But on this day of new beginnings, I still am unable to shed the thoughts that came over me last night. For a majority of us living in North India, last night was nothing less than a nightmare, especially for those living in high rise buildings. Usually in such moments I panic less and I am able to keep my head in place to think and act as needed. However last night was different. The intensity as well as the duration of the earthquake, the fact that we live so high up in a tower, the fact that my kiddo was fast asleep, and the fact that I’m expecting, were all things that cumulatively sent me into a panic mode. I panicked, loudly chanting Lord Shiva’s name, holding onto my child, and screa