Last year, a devastating earthquakee rocked my city Ahmedabad, killing thousands of people in moments. I dreamt of the earthquake for many nights, and I am attipting to write some of the dreams as monologus uttered by the protagonists of those dreams. In this one, a Blind Lady who lost her house in the earthquake speaks:

 

 

BLIND LADY.

What is the color of an earthquake? [Pause.] When it startedŠ I thought it was only happening to meŠ first the sound‹like a distant airplaneŠ and then I thought that the plane had crashed on the roof! The earth beneath my feet rolledŠ it rolled like wavesŠ When you stand in the sea in knee-deep water, and the waves come and goŠ and the sand beneath your feet continues to shiftŠ it was something like that. [Beat.] And as I couldnšt see in the distance like the othersŠ as I see houses coming down like leaves in autumnŠ I thought it was all happening only to meŠ [Beat.] I came downŠ and people kept barging into meŠ a fifty storied building had collapsed, and no one could see a thing‹such was the column of dust that rose! They couldnšt seeŠ and were running in the general vicinity of the gate in utter confusionŠ and then you what happened? [Beat.] I guided so many of them out! I, who hasnšt seen a thing since I was eight years oldŠ only I knew exactly where the gate wasŠ and so many of them were led out with the help of this blind old ladyŠ their blind guide. [Beat.] I donšt mind if I die now. I showed way to peopleŠ.