Mother Earth

Everything sat still while the prayers from nearby mosques could be heard. The beginning of the 3rd fast of the month of Ramadan. A slight chill presenting the wind was greeting the weary eyes of the worshipers of God. Waking up from their beds, ready to start their fast, their duty toward God, the sign of their faith. Chimneys venting small clouds of smoke, were telling the tail of humble yet respected meal was being cooked. One by one each of the family members was gathering around the place where all the things were arranged in a beautiful manner. Cups, glasses, and plates every thing was in place and finally everyone joined in to start the “sehri” the beginning meal of the fast.1

It seemed like a normal day, a normal well respected day of Ramadan. After Sehri all the men of the family went to the mosque for the prayer and the women did the same in their homes. Small children were still sleeping sound, while the dim light appeared on the distant horizon. The sound of recitation of Holly Quran could be heard from each door, giving the air a strange serenity. And after an hour of recitation, all went quite for now.2

At the arrival of morning, the day seemed quite well, with the normal hustle and bustle of the daily life. Children running for school, while the adults ready to take on the work of the day. Houses were left somewhat empty as most of the family members went either to work or for their studies, while the women of the houses started their daily chores. And right then the whole world seemed to crumble down! It seemed as if the earth had betrayed to its place and was trying to gnaw the sky! Everything once so quite and still was now pursuing after each other’s displace. The very ground shook like a dry leaf in wind. With jolts, one after another the houses collapsed. In mere minutes, the place that thousands of people called, their home lied in ruin. The silent air now filled with dust and so many cries of horror and pain, people ran out of their homes while those who remained inside were buried alive. Wandering eyes of parents and children alike were roaming to see even a single familiar face. The despair of mothers could be sensed from their shaking heads and constantly thumping chests while the cries…3

People were run running toward the rubbles in agony, where once their homes stood. Whimpers could be heard from under tons of piles of dust and rocks of people calling their loved one’s names, children calling their mothers “MOM! Please some one; call my mom…I’m here! Mom! Help me …any one please ah!” while women smacked their chests, screaming their names at the heaps of rubbles helpless…4

In seconds a world full of smiles had deformed into a death arena. People outside were afraid to go in and those who had their relatives under those heaps were trying desperately with what ever they could find, to move those rocks but to no avail… soon help arrived but what could that help do to those already dead! Army and civilians trying to take those wounded out of those rubbles, while with each dead body pulled out, several cries were heard and many were left in a state of shock. The hospitals were overwhelmed by now with wounded, among those were some who lived to cry and some who had left their loved ones crying. The death toll was rising.5

The nature had struck at man kind once more and won like always, but the price was dear…some 16000 are feared dead in the earthquake that shuddered the world on which thousands stood with their dears. Several thousands are still trap under the rubbles. And the death toll is expected to rise because of the aftershocks and insignificant number of medical supplies. The rescue operation is in process but still it is not enough. Many are seen sitting on the ground with their heads tilting and eyes filled with tears, trying to cope what took mere seconds to destroy what they had come to love in such a long time. The Earthquake that struck South Asia was the worse in a century, and had left millions homeless and thousands with broken hearts and souls. People are doing what they can to help, while as a reader I ask for your prayers for those who had lost everything…  6