The cloudy skies soon took the shape of a nasty thunderstorm that had winds howling against our window by noon and water seeping in through the window crevices. By night, the country had received a year's rain for the desert in a day.
The nightmare was only coming - roads became rivers and cars stranded or drowning in them. Villas in posh localities had waist deep water on the ground floors sinking fancy appliances while cars in the basement of apartment complexes were equally affected. Power and water supply was disrupted in many places, and V's boss had to climb 14 floors to his posh flat fetching water.
In times of calamity, the rich and the poor become equal in the matter of basic needs. Of course, the rich can afford to shift to hotels. The middle class in Sharjah's India-centric areas were the worst affected crying for food and water. Luckily for them, many courageous and charitable souls braved the sewage-contaminated water in their SUVs and pick-ups, many of which broke down, bringing them food and other essentials. Trust Kerala Muslims to be at the forefront of this mission for nearly a week, unmindful of the threat of water-borne diseases and the stench.
The municipality worked hard to pump out the water but rising seawaters made the task arduous. V couldnt take out his car for a few days as the road in front of his parking lot was waterlogged. Two days he had someone from his office picking him up. On Sunday we ventured out for a blood test in Dubai only to get stuck on our return journey to Sharjah.
Now things are back to normal - at least for us, while many are counting their losses at home or workfront - but we have a weather alert for May 2 and 3. Rain is not welcome anymore.
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