In recent years, Odisha, Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh have braced for numbers of cyclonic storms. Thanks to the advancement of technology, now the storms predicted weeks ago help in minimising loss of human life and live stocks.

Mangrove forests in the sundarban act as a natural barrier against the storms and minimise the effects in Kolkata and adjoining areas. So, in most cases, Bengal was spared with a minimum loss. Although the coastal regions face serious damages. Many villages in sundarban got inundated by saline river water. 

It was 16 May 2020. We were grappling with the COVID-19 virus. As the day progressed, the weather changed rapidly. The sound of the wind was strong enough to create tremor in the most audacious heart. Around afternoon, the phones were out of connection. I was reading short stories in my room. Sometimes I came out in the corridor to find the gutsy winds were lashing on trees and buildings. I never witnessed such a devastating storm. 

My spouse went on the evening shift of hospital duty. In those times of pandemic, she does not have the privilege to skip duty like many others. Our quarter was just fifty meters from the hospital. But the storm was so strong that no one could step out in front. I was anxious for her safety and comfort. 

The electricity connection was disrupted. I was sitting in the darkness within the relentless havoc of the storm. I waited till mid-night, but the storm was far from over. No electricity, no mobile connection—I thought I lost in the old time. I sat in the corridor for a long hour, like the storm had created a spell on me. It was like I was witnessing Mahapraloy. Trees were tossed like straw in the air. The winds were lashing on our building like the hammer of a blacksmith. 

When I woke up, I was still sitting in a chair in the corridor. My attire was drenched in the rainwater. I came out in the open. The wind receded. In front of me was the picture of uprooted trees, tilted electric post, and a waterlogged road. The sky was still covered in a canopy of dark clouds. A stray dog was swimming in the logged rainwater. The dog came to me wagging its tail. 

My spouse came back at 10 AM. She had to do two shifts at a stretch. Dinner was arranged at great difficulty. 

Electricity was restored after three days. I did not complain. I enjoyed reading books in candlelight. 

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