30 minutes ....



Date: 8th October
Time: 9.15 am

Woke up in the morning..around 9.15. Done with the ablutions, I reach out for the newspaper and take my seat on the sofa. I reach the sports page, when I feel myself moving about on the sofa....I was thinking.."Why the crap am I moving about, when I dont want to? "...2 secs later, I realise its the sofa under me that's moving...


Time: about 9.35 am

I rush into the room where Thangi, sloshed over from last night, was sleeping like a log.... "Get up Thangi, the building is shaking....WE GOTTA GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!! GET UP!!!"



Time: about 9.37 am


I am making my way down the stairs, as are all the other inhabitants of the building. I hear a "Dont Panic" being shouted by someone. Somehow, that seemed to have a calming effect on people. The last thing you wanted was people rushing down the stairs like mad.


Time: about 9.40am

I just get out of the building and look behind...Thangi aint there. "I did see him following me...may be he's on his way down" -..................................................."Heck! I better go up there and get his ass down!"


Time: 9.45 am

Excitement and a sense of fear was thick in the air. Thangi, Kallu and Myself and a large number of tenants....standing in front of the building....discussing, the possibility of yet another tremor.


Epilogue:
An Earthquake measuring about 7.8 on the Richter Scale hit several cities in Pakistan in the morning of October 8th . The impact was felt throughout Afghanistan and Northern India. Delhi and cities around it felt the tremors at 9.30 am in the morning. High rise buildings were left particularly shaken by the tremor lasting for about minutes in Delhi.