As I reached downstairs I took hold of a door and braced myself against it for support. My father held me tight as we swung to and fro. Shivers of terror raced down my spine as I saw glasses and wine bottles falling off one by one from the cupboard. Cold fear gripped my heart as I stood rooted to the ground unable to utter a single sound. My heart froze at the thought of the whole house falling on top of me. After two whole minutes, it seemed to cease. But I could not differentiate whether the earth was still swinging or my knees were shivering.All of us rushed out. Everyone was terrified. The usual spark in people's eyes was replaced by horror. Thanks to sense of caring of the people in our community, we gathered together, supporting each other. We sat down in the open fields. Our compound wall had collapsed and we could see our garden from the road. We waited outside as more and more of the aftershocks terrorized us all. Little children huddled against their mothers due to fear.
The final rays of the sun hit the ground forming long shadows as our bodies silhouetted against the sky. Casting a glance at the darkening sky, we gathered enough courage to go inside and prepare for the worst. We packed a few clothes and food for a night stay in the car. We hardly slept a wink as aftershocks continued. Nepal hit the headlines of all international news channels and phones kept ringing as lots of worried acquaintances worldwide phoned to check on our situation. Relief funds were sent in heaps from across the globe as number of casualties increased.
With a heavy heart we listened to the radio that announced that most of the ancient monuments had been destroyed. The nine-storey Dharahara that towered Kathmandu was no more. Lots of old temples and monuments with historical as well as cultural value turned into dust in a matter of seconds. Beautiful tourism spots like Langtang disappeared into dusts.
As we all know, the 7.8 scale earthquake has caused much destruction across the country, taking thousands of lives and panicking all Nepalis. There are people who have not been physically affected. But it has affected all of us mentally. Emotional strain lies in every living hearts of our people.
The whole house could have stumbled on top of me. This thought still haunts my heart. Tears fill my eyes at the thought of those people who have lost their loved ones. It will take years to heal the wounds of people. No one had seen death so close. So now we have realized that death can be just a few steps away. And all we can do is be careful and take precautions.
Even though relief funds and materials have been donated by many nations around the globe, most people are still spending their nights without a proper shelter. Their silent plea for relief seems to have vanished into thin air.
Though we all are in utter shock, we should keep it in mind that Nepal was only shaken, not broken. We should keep up the Gorkhali spirit and work hand in hand to rebuild our nation. Nepal was well in the process of coming out of long political instability and transitioning to a developing country status. The devastating earthquake has pushed us several years back. But we must rise again, we will.
The author is a grade nine student at Shuvatara School
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