BROKEN

 

Sienna woke up at 5:30 am today. A little early that she usually did. The date was 22^nd March, and it was no ordinary day. Her little girl was coming back to her today. It had taken her 2 years, a lot of money, tears and pain to get her daughter’s custody. But she did it. She had decided to order her daughter’s favourite cake. Chocolate hazelnut. She then had to pick up her daughter from the school. She could not contain her excitement. At 9:11 am she boarded the metro.

Abdul got up at 6 am. He had to go out and pick up a specially made watch for his son, who was coming back after 3 years of studying in the US. His flight was to land at 7:30 am.

Dany brushed her teeth. It was her first day at school. She kept on wondering about how it will be, will she make friends, and will her teachers like her.

Ryanna had almost slept through the alarm. It was her first day of at her new job.

Yes, it was a usual day in the lives of different people. But it was not an ordinary day.

By 9:30 am all the news channels carried only one news. Blasts in Brussels Metro and Airport leaves many dead. It was a terrorist strike, presumably the ISIS. The blasts had taken place at the Maalbeek metro and at the Brussels airport. People were screaming, crying, running, some even shocked and in denial. All transportation was suspended. Suddenly, it seemed as the city had stopped breathing.

Sienna’s daughter kept waiting for her mother to pick her up, Abdul held the watch tighter as he prayed that his son was fine, but he was left praying. Dany’s dreams and anticipations remained unrealised and Ryanna did miss her first day at work, and kept missing it henceforth, as only her corpse remained in the metro station. And many more lives were torn apart by this act of cowardice or as the terrorists call it martyrdom or duty.

Children were orphaned, sisters were lost, grandchildren were dead, dreams and memories were never created, sorrys were never said, love was not expressed and some words remained unspoken.

The world leaders talked about solidarity as the lives of people crumbled. A three day national mourning was declared

The terrorists were successful once again- to instill a fear, to shatter people’s lives and to create a sense of chaos, hopelessness, helplessness and sorrow. The list just keeps on growing.

Syria

Paris

Istanbul

Sydney

Germany

Brussels

The chocolate hazelnut cake was left to rot on the glass pane of the store, and Abdul’s watch was left shattered by the feet of distraught victims and their relatives. The match was over, the result was simple.

The terrorists won.

Innocents lost