"Immediately, I collected my bag and umbrella and called my husband. I didn't know what was happening. My colleague advised me not to sit in the ladies' coach on the train (in Mumbai we have a separate coach for ladies). He said, You'd better go in the general coach, because if something happens you will have the support of other people there."
"The station was about 10 minutes from my office. Rain was hitting my body. My umbrella was useless in that wind and rain. A lot of water was already on the road. I remember my lower legs, feet and shoes were wet by the time I reached the station. There were a lot of people, a lot of noise, at Churchgate station; everyone wanted to catch a train and go home."
Ruchira Gupta, an English-to-Hindi interpreter and former lawyer, was working in Mumbai during the 2005 Maharashtra floods that killed 926 people. Heavy rain and wind forced colleagues to warn of train service disruptions. She collected her bag, called her husband, and was advised to ride in the general coach for mutual support. Streets were already flooded and her shoes were wet before she reached Churchgate station. Trains were crowded and slow; the coach roof leaked so passengers sat with open umbrellas inside. After several stations the train halted at Bandra amid widespread service announcements.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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