“Wake up!” someone said, a thousand bells rang in the ears of Tina as she suddenly opened her eyes. Her heart pounded as she saw the bed shaking, “Dham, dhum, dhap”- the mysterious noise made her roll her eyes around the room.

“O God! What is this? What’s happening?” she shrieked crossing her hands in fear.

Her mother, Sushila, stood at one corner of the room praying and chanting mantras, “O Mother Earth! Please calm down!”

Within seconds, the earthquake stopped- like a miracle -and she rushed to the side of her children, held their hands and led them to the door of the room.

“Tan! Tun! Tan! Tun!” the loud bells of the nearby temple still rang in Tina’s ears.

“Mummy! Where are we going?” asked Tina looking at her mother with curiosity. 

“O dear! It was an earthquake. Let’s go outdoors before it’s too late…”, replied Sushila as she chanted Hare Ram! Hare Ram! and went to the staircase with her children. Tina and her siblings obeyed her mother.

Saryu, Tina’s grandmother was standing in the living area downstairs. She shouted fearfully,“Sushila! Come out with the children.” Her eyes were filled with tears as she saw her grandchildren stepping down one step after another cautiously.

“Yes, slowly”, she guided them. As soon as they reached the first floor, Saryu took her younger grandson, Lakhan in her lap. She escorted Sushila and the children through the corridor to the sitting area of the house.

Tina wondered what was going on! She looked at her mother with her big twinkling eyes.

Bhola rushed to them hurryingly and said,” Let’s go to the courtyard. Papa is worried and calling all of you. Let’s hurry!”

Both the women looked at each other and went to assemble in the garden in the outer portion of the house. The little girl grasped her mother’s fingers and followed silently.

It was dawn but the sky looked reddish. The dew on the green grass was fresh and the old man clad in white dhoti was walking anxiously- up and down the green path.

“Why is grandpa taking a walk so early?” Tina thought. Just then she saw her grandpa -with his white moustache and black spectacles- turn towards them. A sense of relief came to his face as he saw the family members.

“Ah! So, you all have come down. We will have to wait here. I remember the earthquake when I was young. It stopped but recurred after a few minutes. We can’t take a risk.”

The little girl Tina held her mother’s fingers and looked at Ram, her younger brother who held one end of her mother’s saree. He was still rubbing his eyes.

Sushila made them sit on the concrete bench nearby and asked her mother-in-law, “I am worried how is Ram’s Papa, your elder son, Amma!”

Saryu nodded her head convincingly and turned towards her husband Nath and said,” Why don’t you ring up Balram?”

The old man assured, “I have talked to him. He is all right and will arrive here by afternoon. There were no earthquake jerks in Mithapore.”

The ladies looked at each other with affirmation. The children fell asleep on the bench. The old man saw that the people from other houses had also come out and were relaxing. He approached them to have a discussion.

As the sun shone brightly, the family members returned home. Sushila woke up her children and took them inside. Tina rubbed her eyes as if she had woken up from a strange dream. She was amazed to find herself on the concrete bench outside.