Black Friday

The day started off with the usual trip to work and cup of tea followed by email and work. At the stroke of 1:15pm on this bustling afternoon under the drizzly Bangalore sky, it was business as usual, prayers at mosques, techies at their lunch break, serpentine traffic and anticipation of the weekend. After what seemed to be an eerie calm before a storm, a series of 8 bomb blasts took place in the city within a span of 30 minutes. It brought the sophisticated IT city to its knees. The ingeniously assembled crude bombs with timer were placed in small steel tiffin-boxes.

The media started pouring out images and analysis while the denizens thought of what to do. Offices were closed early, phone lines were overwhelmed with the plethora of calls that were being attempted by the concerned and the monstrous traffic became worse (if that is even possible). Panic stricken people seeking shelter, office workers wanting to reach home to assure their loved ones of their safety combined with the fear of imminent danger made the roads and buses very crowded. I was again at my usual spot in the bus precariously holding on with one hand and foot but reached home safely.

The crime scene was over at 2:30 with the residents and police literally pocking up the pieces but the affect to the city would still take some time. The city did not fall under the spell of communalism but survived this ordeal. It made for a somber weekend with many people not venturing, out. The next day carried news of another series of blasts in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. We can only pray for the people that are with us no more.