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Deepa's Story: An Indian Living In America Grieves (Part One) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Rated "G" by the Author.
Deepa Indira Arjuwal, a woman originally from India who now resides in the United States with her father, Venkatesh, is worried sick over the fate of her mother, Anuja, who was in India visiting friends when the tsunami struck. She hasn't heard from her since the tragedy, and she is growing increasingly worried.
Deepa is a medical student attending college in Tennessee, and she is hoping to become an X-ray technician.
Each day, whenever I am at home, I sit in front of the television, my eyes glued to the news reports; and every day, the news brings more horror, more sadness, and my heart breaks to where I no longer can stand the pain that consumes my being.
My name is Deepa, Deepa Indira Arjuwal is my name, and I am 30 years old. My home used to be in Cuddalore, in southern India, but I have been in America for the past ten years or so, along with my father, Venkatesh, and I am one of eighteen (seven of us are still alive now). I am a student at university here in Tennessee, and my goal is to become an X-ray technician. I am doing my studies at a local hospital, and I have enjoyed my studies very much.
To describe myself, I am very thin in build (I weigh approximately 100 pounds), with shortish black hair, black eyes, and dark skin; and I usually wear my traditional sari (or some other type of Indian clothing), as it is most comfortable for me. I am not married; I am too busy to be looking for a mate, and I am too busy with my studies. My father, Venkatesh, is a doctor at the hospital where I do my studies and my "hands on" experiences, and he is very good at his job. He is a surgeon of orthopedics, and he makes much in the way of money; so we are comfortably well off. My mother, Anuja, lives with us too, but she is now in our former home in Cuddalore, India, where she was visiting friends on holiday, when the tsunami/earthquake struck. This happened at ten our time, on Sunday, 26 December, 2004 (the day after Christmas), and for the past two/three days we have heard absolutely nothing, and I haven't been able to sleep or eat, and my stomach has been so upset. It seems all I have done ever since the tragedy is cry my eyes out, until I think I have no more tears left; but somehow, as I watch the tv or the news, more tears form, and I manage to cry yet again. I am fearful that Ma is dead, and I am fearful that my surviving siblings are facing the same fate; and I am scared for them all.
I try to ease my worried mind by concentrating on my studies or going to my job at hospital; yet, the thought of my family is never far from my mind; and it seems that any thought of them can bring on a new torrent of tears. I have been extremely nauseated, and I am fearful for what the news may bring. At last report, the news reporters say that as many as over 60,000 people may have been lost in the disaster, with many, many more missing, and now they say that disease is innement, thanks to all the dead corpses floating in the water, and all the refuse and debris littering the landscape. As many as 11 different countries were affected by the tsunami/earthquake, and its effects will more than likely be felt for a very long, long time to come. It is unbelievable, this huge amount of loss of life, and the hundreds of thousands more who are still unaccounted for, and there were people from all over the world who were NOT touched by this disaster somehow, including those here in the United States of America. As many as 20 Americans may have been lost in the disaster, and I grieve for them, and all those affected most of all by this monumental calamity.
I try to be positive, thinking that Ma is okay, but I become increasingly worried as the days go by. It's as though Ma has completely disappeared, as has so many others, and I fear for her life, and the lives of my siblings, and also my friends back in my village of Cuddalore. Over 400 people alone in my village perished in the disaster, and I wonder if my own family was affected. I don't know what I would do if I were to hear that Ma or my siblings (or even my friends back home) didn't survive; I think I shall go mad with grief! I have been praying to my god, asking for his protection and mercy upon my family and friends, and I ask for him to give me wisdom and common sense in helping me deal with this world-reaching disaster.
Oh, dear God...now the news reporters have said that as many as nearly 80,000 people have died in the disaster, and the number could very easily reach over 100,000...More heartbreak; I can't take much of it; I will most surely go mad with grief...And still no word from Ma or my family back in India as of this writing...I am becoming more and more worried as time ticks on by...
I too was affected (we all were, really...); I have friends in India and other nations affected, and I can only hope and pray that they are okay. I DID get some good news: one of my friends in Somalia, in Eastern Africa (one of the nations affected) is well, as is his family; but I cannot rejoice, as I am still awaiting the fate of other friends. God bless all our world, and God especially bless those who were affected by this unimaginable natural disaster! :( >tears<
this was a world altering event; many nations were affected, so many lives lost...like you, i am grateful for friends we have heard from, but wonder about others. a powerfully moving write--well written!
(((HUGS))) and love, karla. :(
Reviewed by Judy Lloyd
12/29/2004
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Each day, whenever I am at home, I sit in front of the television, my eyes glued to the news reports; and every day, the news brings more horror, more sadness, and my heart breaks to where I no longer can stand the pain that consumes my being.
