Electrozena - a power virus

It was a Sunday pleasant morning hours; Mom, Sophie and I were just back from church. Usually as our Sunday’s breakfast were prepared by Dad. That day too, Dad did it with pouring utmost love in his new breakfast recipes. Till our way return back to home I and Sophie were too curious about his breakfast menu.

In no time, both of us got fresh and hurried soon to our dining hall, where Dad was eagerly waiting to serve us the world’s most delicious egg cheeza and pan cake.

We just took our seats to have the breakfast and suddenly the entire power supply went off.

Mom (grunted inside bed room): “Ohhhhh my god! How long will it persist now?”

Then she came to us at dining hall and had her seat.

Then silence surrounded all of us for 15 minutes approx, as we started with our plates.

We all were sweating badly due to humid climate.

Meanwhile, Dad received an SMS in his cell phone stating the power supply will stay interrupted for 2 hours from now, which he showed us.

All of us looked each other (together): “Ahhhh….uhhhhh……pshhhh….oops!”

Our entire Sunday plan followed by an evening outing got entirely shattered.

But still we decided to keep ourselves engaged and peaceful.

Then Dad rushed to put on the invertors.

After we finished off our breakfast, Mom rushed into the kitchen for preparing out the afternoon meals.

Sophie took up all the breakfast plates, spoons and other used utensils for washing.

I took up with Dad for downloading the Sunday special movies on his newly purchased i-phone.

Two hours passed on soon, as we all were so engaged with our tasks.

We almost completed our downloading, and i-phone gave up. Dad and me (together happily): “Ahhhhh…..”

Meanwhile the power blinked on and I just ran gladly shouting “Ahhh it came.”

And just pinned the i-phone on its charger, again the power went off in no time, I can say it might be a second.

Sophie shouted (in rage): “How many 2 hours will it go on?”

Mom almost losing her patience: “Meals are ready, all may have it on time. I cannot withstand in kitchen in anymore.”

As the invertors almost gave up, I brought out the small table fan from our bed room and kept in centre so that everyone can be relaxed till it had its charge. Being from middle class family, we could not afford more of comfort zones than of such kind.

At this moment, we were discouraged not because the power went off, as we knew it was as usual on every Sunday. But of course, did not persist for such long hours.

It went on for approx 8 hours, till the clock showed evening hours of 6pm.

After lighting up the candle we all sat together for our evening prayers.

As now it was the time for preparing our dinner. Dad called up the customer care and could get to understand nothing on specific time of power to resume back.

We all were discouraged as all of our Sunday plans were locked up due to this unpredicted power failures. Then suddenly surprising Dad planned a dinner out. We all got dressed up, after a long drive reached our favorite “Dine well restaurant” which had a bar, family hub, malls, and games alongside in it. Of course we enjoyed our candle light dinner. As this was the first time; we could not enjoy the rest facilities, due to the persisting power failure from quite long. So disheartened we all returned back to home. After chanting our night prayers we all went to sleep.

It was next day morning but the power didn’t turn on. Then we confirmed from our neighbors and understood that all of us had the same problem. Then we came to know not only us or nearby areas were affected by this power failure, but this one entire city is in darkness from yesterday morning.

Then we all of us came together from nearby areas, trying out the customer care contacts with the people who had some left out battery charged in their mobile phones, but it was all in vain as they were not able to give us any proper answers on when this issue may get cleared.

Everyone was in same circumstances as none of us were prepared for this unexpected change into darkness. We all waited for the arrival of power, with keeping our eye on daily newspapers.

Only the day’s sunlight gave us light with opened doors and windows.

This persisted for few days, but we comforted each other’s by accepting may be due to some technical issues of power supply and we can come back to light soon. 

But this issue stood unresolved now. Over a month passed out by now, but nothing positive arose about the comeback of power supply. Later from the daily newspapers, we learnt that there was no particular cause of this total shutdown of the power and neither there were any technical issues that can be resolved by technical expert’s team. It was clearly mentioned a team of researchers who came for their study on power at our city’s power station has conducted some of their experimental tests which led to interruption in power supply due to the outbreak of an electrical virus known as “Electrozena,”which has defeated the entire power supply connections of this city. Despite of various steps taken to resolve by the senior most technical experts and their team, nothing positive could work out so far.

It was almost six months by now, we have not used our mixer, grinder, refrigerator, sandwich maker, greaser, washing machine, door bells, etc all our comforts were lost. All our home electrical appliances were kept aside as most of them required its charging like i-phone, cell phones, and electric fans, etc.

There were both positive and negative facts that we learnt from this power failure. It taught us to wake up early, the laziness and comforts of our life got transformed into making us more active and hard working than before. Earlier we used to spend most of our times on mobile, internet-surfing and chatting on social websites. Now, all of us met face to face conveniently and felt closer than saying our “hello” or “good bye” through whatsapp or other modes of chatting. There was a fellow men love which always existed among us, despite we had lots of difference of opinions and quarrels with each other, it did not affect the human relations. But at the same time, it has badly affected the business, big production and manufacturing units, small offices, studies; it was like our life became a standstill without power. This has shut down many giant, medium and small business units as none of their tasks can happen without power. Also, many people suffered from mental depression, out of which many of them gave up their lives, with increasing suicides in this city. The night which was already dark turned out more dark without street lights resulting into more of accidents for those who drove at night hours.

The city life has entirely changed to the old village pattern of life without electricity.

By now, most of us have learnt to accommodate in this pattern of life style, as there is no choice left with us, but still every eyes had a hope of going back to pavilion. Every morning we all eyed on the newspapers which most times disappointed us with unfair news. At last after this one year, we learnt that a team of technical and scientific experts will be coming to our city’s power station to test their best of experience and knowledge on the lost power supply.

We all are in a hope that this darkness will lift us to light some day.