Story : Island Unaffected

16th August 2025, Saturday. In a small hut somewhere in Goa, a small
boy of eight years with curly hair was asking his father, “Dad!!
Please. Is that really necessary?? I mean its 1.00 AM in night, and
you are going towards sea?? Please dad, we can go at morning also.”
His father was not very tuff physically. Had a small moustache and was
wearing a turban and just a dhoti to cover his legs. He collected the
fishing nets from the ground and replied in a voice full of pain “when
you know the condition of your mother, then why you are asking all
this? Tomorrow, I have to admit your mother for her cancer treatment.”
After pausing for a couple of seconds, he turned towards his son and
said “I have a deal with one businessperson. He said that if I could
provide him 500 Kgs of fish, then he would help us for the treatment
of your mother. 15 Kgs are remaining, and I can't wait for morning.
Your mother is sleeping, so take care of her. OK”.
“No dad. I am coming with you, Mom is sleeping. She doesn't need any
help now, however you may need it. Weather is so cloudy and windy.”
Nevertheless the father wasn't ready for this. So, after long argument
between them, son had his way. Wind was very strong, when they reached
at the sea. Their clothes were fluttering. Father sat in his boat,
while son was waiting at the beach. Son, with tensed expression keeps
convincing his father that not to go too deep into the sea. “Please
change your mind as tides are very high. It's not a good time.” Father
told him to stay there and hold Lantern with. “I will be back in few
moments.”
Son kept watching his father, as he went furthermore. Suddenly winds
got even stronger. Trees behind the son started waving. Son got
scared. Tides also go very strong and high. Son shouted “Dad! Dad!!!
Where are you??” By then he had lost the sight of his father. Suddenly
a thick branch from nearby tree comes hurling towards the son. Son
turned around, and before he realizes anything, that branch knocks his
head, causing him to go in unconscious state immediately. The tides
were getting stronger with each minute, resulting in a flood inside
the village. Many trees were crumbled. Many lives were lost, and many
lost their close ones. It was one of the most drastic tsunami in past
few decades. It damages almost whole city and villages at the western
coast of India.

'The humans are not strong enough to face the anger of nature'. These
thoughts were coming to my mind when I looked up all around. People
were crying for food, clothes and home. Oh sorry, not home because
they lost it already. They were living under the shelter of broken
trees. Everything was ruined. By the way, I am Professor Himanshu Kher
and at that time, I was busy as hell in a village near south Goa. My
age was twenty eight. Physically healthy, no moustache and has a
decent personality as my friends says. I teach disaster management at
Technical University in Bangalore. I was there to do survey on
disaster caused by that tsunami.Many media from news were also there
to cover the current situation. Sometimes for any technical query,
they used to consult me. Whenever I got free time, I usually help
people along with military guys. I saw a girl who was in shock. She
was not eating anything; her mother was asking her continually to eat
something. I went to her, and said “Hi.” She looked at me, but doesn't
reply. Her mother was also crying. I told that you have to be strong
for your daughter. Then I looked at girl and said, with smile “You are
so cute and good girl. Eat at least one chapatti. Look, first you eat
then I will give you a gift. Any gift you want.” Girl again looked at
me and said, “I want my brother in gift.” I have no words to say. I
had no answer. However then I said, “Look, eat something for your
mother. Your brother will come back one day, definitely.” She looked
at her mother. Then pick up a chapatti and gave it to her. The
situation got controlled for a moment.

“Excuse me sir...” A sweet voice then came from my behind. I turn
around, and said “Ohh, Arti. Where you have been since morning?” I was
in the Goa because of two persons. First one is a very senior and old
professor Dr. David and another one is this girl Arti. Her looks were
simple and had a fair complexion. Her height would be around five foot
four inch, slim, generally make a pony tail and wear a spectacle. As
she was a student from a film making college at Mumbai, so she always
had a handycam in her hand. She wanted to make a documentary movie on
this situation. So she met Dr. David, and asks him for help to give
her more detail knowledge and guide her technically. Dr. David is a
known face in disaster management. He was strict and always wanted
work to be done on time. His look was according to his character: Bald
head, white moustache and beard. As Dr. David had not enough time, so
he appointed me to go along with her. He also asked me to
do survey, like how much amount of soil goes under sea level, content
of soil, life of marine species, etc. and finally I had to prepare a
report on that.
“Sir, what do you say? Is this ok?” She opened her handycam, showed me
whatever videos she shot. I saw some of the videos and pictures.
“Good. Fantastic job. Dr. David would surely like this.”
“Thank you Sir. I hope the same reaction from my teacher too.”
“Yea surely he will. Anyway, this is our last day of the trip. Mine
flight is after two hours. When is yours?”
“Well, I will go tomorrow. I have to take interview of some military
guys.”
“Ok. All the best then, and all the best for your carrier too. I
enjoyed working with you in these three days but I have to go now, as
I don’t have enough time.”
“Ok Sir. Bye. I may contact you through email, if necessary, is that
ok?”
“Yea that’s ok. Bye.”
During my flight journey, I thought about what I saw in last three
days. I thought about people and their future. How difficult it would
be for them to start another inning of their life. Next day, at
morning I met Dr. David. I was looking at him and he was continually
looking at videos and pictures shot by Arti. Then he looked at my
measurement report. Its over five minutes and he didn't say a single
word. I thought what the hell is going in his mind. What is so special
in the video that he is not speaking? Finally I thought I should say
something. As I opened my mouth to speak, he immediately said “The
videos are pretty good, now since I have to go for an urgent meeting
so I can't see your measurement report right now. You leave it on my
desk, I will see it later.”

“Ok, when you will be free, for further discussion?”
He looked at the calendar and said “Come and meet me day after
tomorrow, at 9.00 AM. Is it ok?”
“Yeah, Fine. No problem.”
That day I relaxed at my home. After three days trip, I was really
tired and wanted to sleep, sleep and only sleep. Next day, I opened my
laptop and started browsing Internet. I was looking at the satellite
images of places which were affected by tsunami. I looked at contour
images of affected areas. I don't know how, I thought of Lakshadweep
Island. I looked the images of those islands. I zoomed those images. I
saw that wild life, trees and almost everything was destroyed. But one
thing snatches my attention. I observed that there was one island:
near north of Lakshadweep Islands which was totally unaffected. I was
surprised. It seems that as if this island is some relative or friend
of tsunami, because of which tsunami didn't affect it.
Now I was really confused and curious to find the reason. For a moment
I thought that maybe island didn't come under the effective region of
tsunami. I opened the new tab of Internet browser and checked it
again. I found that I was wrong. It comes under tsunami region or
contour, but at the border of it. So I thought that may be the
intensity of tsunami wasn't strong enough. I did more research on
this. Unfortunately the answers were not satisfactory. Pictures were
showing that soils were totally dry.
I tried to contact Dr. David through phone, but he was unavailable. I
immediately mailed those photos to Dr. David and tell him everything
on mail. However he didn't reply to my mail. Next day when I met him,
he told me that he had read my email, and he is also curious to know
that place. He also wanted to go there, but since he has to attend a
conference in U.S., he can't go with me. “If you want, you can prepare
your team and go there, but don't go alone, as they're maybe wild
animals on that island. Though I am not coming with you, but I would
be in touch with you through phone or webcam, etc. Ok”
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