26th July 2005, when mumbai stopped for everyone. I was 6 years old on July 26, 2005 the day Mumbai came to a standstill. The rains were relentless. Our school ran from 12–6 PM, but halfway through, they announced classes were canceled because of the flooding. My mom came to pick me up, and we started walking home because the water was too high for vehicles to move. What I remember vividly: • Water up to my chest. • Buses, cars, and rickshaws stranded like abandoned toys. • People walking in the middle of the street to avoid potholes. • Gusty winds, loud thunder, and the eerie quiet between lightning cracks. Then it happened. I tripped over something and fell into an open gutter. I was small, terrified and so close to being swept in. The only thing that saved me was that the gutter was overflowing, so I didn’t completely sink. Before I could even process what was happening, two men rushed toward me. • One picked me up and put me on his shoulders. • The othe...