Anxious tuesday

Terror tuesday or 11/7 bombings in Mumbai were the third occassion I experienced immeasurable fear. It was 10 am when one of my friends called up and asked if I knew about the Mumbai blasts. From that point onwards till I could speak to both my parents at 10.45am I died a thousand times. The level of anxiety increased as I read about the incident. At first I just heard about a blast in Mumbai. Then heard about a blast in the local train. Then heard about serial blasts. And then the most damning news that Borivli was one of the stations where the incidents happened. The fact that the blast happened at 6.30pm, a time when my parents usually commute made matters worst. From that point till the time I heard my mother speak and confirm that both of them were safe, with my father reitterating the same in background, I had a wave of anxiety inside me, eating me.
I was too young in 1993 when the blasts took place. But never the less we were a bunch of kids with working parents then, who continued to play cricket just to distract ourselves from the bitter reality and continued playing in pitch dark till everyones family got back. It was like poking a needle into a numb hand. We were playing, but we were not playing.
The earliest such incident that made me anxious was a train collision at Byculla, Mumbai somewhere around 1986. Little did I know about the incident, but knew that it happened in the evening and my mother travels at that time.

The common most feeling on all three occassions is fear and anxiety. The biggest difference is information flow. The difference can be sumarized in how we used to communicate; Then- such and such thing has happened here and we are safe was the call from your dear ones. Now because of the electronic media I already know that this has happened and so many are missing, but still have to wait to confirm family safety. Typically contributes to building anxiety and stress.