It was a day in the month of July. The year was probably 2011. The sky was overcast with dark clouds, a heavy downpour was imminent. Me and wife were on our way to the airport. Our daughter was arriving around 2.30 pm from New Delhi. Summer vacation!
We were already late leaving home. I looked out through the wind shield. The sky above was gloomy, grey cumulonimbus clouds appeared to thicken with every passing moment. I heard pitter-patter on the roof top. In no time, the swollen drops were hitting the car roof like wild drum beats that grew into a cacophony. It became very dark all around . I was winding up a relatively lonely route with frequent bends through PAMOHI, high thick forestry hills to my left. The rain intensified into a very heavy downpour,instantly flooding the way ahead.The sky above burst with lightning thunder as if the Heavens had opened up. Ahead I could see only sheets of rain completely blocking the way. The wiper on the windshield, moving feverishly, was unable to clear a view through the gushing rain. Headlights were on, the winding road up ahead only visible at a yard’s length. Thunderstorm accompanied by howling wind was blowing through the high trees, making the trees bend like pendulums gone wild. Torrents of rain water kept hurtling down the hills hitting the moving car like a battering-ram. I was in a trance like posture trying to hold the steering wheel steady, lest the gushing rain water thudding onto the body of the car might not push it down into the deep depths of DEEPOR BILL far below on my right . Ahead I could only see huge swaths of rain water hurtling down the hills with break neck speed, pausing for a moment as if to catch its breath as it hit the road , only to be vehemently pushed down by the next angry wave. I was trying to maneuver the vehicle with as slow a speed as possible, constantly aware of the sideways nudge the car had to endure.
She, sitting by my side was grey with fear, holding the front canopy of the car with all her strength. A few vehicles passed by with headlights on, moving at a snail’s pace. Somehow, the sight of other vehicles passing by lifted my spirit! I was not alone at the mercy of Nature’s fury! I was more than half an hour away from the airport, nature’s ‘Tandob’ not abetting even slightly.
Torrents of rain continued to pour incessantly all around, making it almost impossible to drive through thick sheets of downpour. Far below on the right, vast marshy wetland of Deepor Beel had come alive, bobbing up and dancing with joy, turbulent roiling water disappearing in its vast welcoming bosoms. For a fleeting moment, I thought, what if my car also became a dancing toy in that vast expanse!! What with all the side ways thrust!!
Up ahead, suddenly, a sharp bend appeared, the force of rain water flowing down the hills were particularly stronger than what I had encountered so far. A gorge was formed between two conjoining hilly slopes, rushing rain water converging from both hills hurtled down the narrow gorge with intense force, as if an waterfall was flowing in full glory. The road ahead disappeared, instead a frothing, rushing onslaught of torrential rain thundered down far below.
I paused, unsure of what to do. An age old saying crossed my mind,” fools rush where angels fear to tread”. With foreboding, I slowly moved forward, in first gear, controlling the accelerator and steering wheel as best as I could. The car skidded a bit to the right, the rush of water howling on the left, angry at being obstructed in its steady flow. A sharp gasp escaped by my side, she was beside herself with fear. I kept inching forward as slowly as I could, I was in the thick of howling, onrushing waves thudding with immense force at the windows, as if peeking inside,” who is this audacious fool challenging my mad rush into my doom!” I continued moving ahead, holding the steering wheel as tightly as I could, both feet on clutch, break and accelerator, negotiating against nature’s fury.After a time that seemed like an eon, I crossed the nightmare! Once crossed, the road ahead seemed easy to drive, as if the hardest part was over. My wife, who was so far silent with mortal fear, was now chirping like a parrot, relieved at having crossed the waterfall!
A view of DEEPOR BEEL
However, the calamity like ritual appeared to continue with no respite in sight, when abruptly the rain turned into a drizzle, the sky clearing into daylight, as if the Rain God had tested my nerves so long. However, our ordeal that day was yet to be over.As I continued to drive, a huge traffic jam awaited, caused by water logging. Once through and I was on the highway to the airport, another logjam awaited ahead in the middle of the highway, same reason!
We found our daughter sitting on her luggage, catching a tired nap by the time we reached the airport.
The incident remained etched in my memory, probably because of the heavy rain and relative danger caused by its thrust.
Some references::
.https://www.holidify.com/places/guwahati/dipor-bil-sightseeing-120964.html
Surasmita Singha
Awesome 👍