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Actor Shruti Vyas on the 2005 floods: Mumbai, a city of camaraderie and strength
As Mumbai marks 20 years since the devastating 2005 floods this July 26, actor, theatre personality, Shruti Vyas recalls the memories of natural disaster
As Mumbai marks 20 years since the devastating 2005 floods this July 26, actor, theatre personality, and storyteller Shruti Vyas vividly recalls the natural disaster that etched memories in countless minds.
"I vividly remember I had gone to Andheri East to take a children’s acting workshop at an NGO. It was more about theatre exercises and all. I reached there around eight in the morning, and by the time I wrapped it up, the weather gods had started to play as it started raining cats and dogs," Shruti recounts.
Shruti received her first call from her parents at 11am, urging her to hurry home. "As I used public transportation, it was difficult to find an auto back, though I had my raincoat. It was after one hour that I could spot an auto. The water on the road was a little above my feet by that time. This auto driver was driving very rashly and taking different routes, saying, ‘saare rastein bandh joh khula hoga waha se chalna hoga’. My only solace was that at least I found a conveyance."
The actor states that she is not good with recalling roads and routes.
"Not only that, as the water on the road was filling fast, it was more chaotic. I don't know how, but after an hour, I found myself in Jogeshwari under a flyover that had a huge jam. I could hear voices, ‘Niklo pani bhar raha hain’, so I left my auto as it was just not able to move. What shocked me was that the water level had risen to my knees."
Shruti says that moving with the crowd, she found herself on a bridge where a human chain had formed. "There were around two hundred people walking hand in hand. Supporting each other, people had left their vehicles, and everyone was on the road. My phone got discharged and was not working. Being a 21-year-old, I was just incessantly crying until this person ahead of me in the chain made a call home. It was then my mother asked this person to help me reach Goregaon West where my aunt resided, as my house was in Andheri West. I had no way out except to depend on him as, kuch samjh hi nahi aarha tha. Walking from 2pm, I reached my aunt’s place at 7 in the evening, all walking on the above-knee water-logged roads."
Shruti shares that it was since then she fell in love with the spirit of Mumbai. "For me, Mumbai is the best city; the camaraderie, the strength, and the way people stood for each other in those times is commendable. The only thing I still feel for is the person who dropped me safely, before I could realise, he just disappeared in that storm, not to be found."
