Mumbai: Tushar Pawar’s life turned upside down on Monday, as his mother and he watched their home go up in flames.
“A little before 3.30 a.m, I was woken up by my mother. She asked me to check what was the noise about,” he said.
Mr. Pawar stepped out of his room to see a few workers frantically trying to extinguish the fire that had originated near the electric box. “The moment I saw the fire, I woke up my mother and rushed outside.”
A little later, Mr. Pawar said they heard an explosion. He and his mother were shocked to see the fire engulf their home. “We lost everything. We have none of our identity proofs, no clothes; everything is gone.”
The noise of the cylinder blast woke up the entire neighbourhood. “Our whole house vibrated,” said Shailendra Mallah, who lives across the street from the workshop. “It was around 3.45 a.m when the explosion occurred. I rushed to my window and saw the blaze.”
Neighbours, many of whom have known Mr. Pawar and his family for years, came out to help. “Today, the only reason I am able to speak to you is because of our friends in the neighbourhood. I took my mother to my friend, Sandeep Misha’s house. I wanted to make sure she was all right. I also called my younger brother,” Mr. Pawar said. His younger brother Tejas works at night painting hoardings.
“After Mr. Tejas arrived, I went back to the site to help,” he said. Mr. Pawar said that he along with locals moved two tempos that belonged to Bhanu Farsan outside the workshop as they were blocking the path.
Mr. Pawar’s father used to work for Sanjay Makhriya, the owner of the plot, for several years. Back then, the owner used to run a shoe factory on the premises. Once the factory was shut, his father was given a 10x10 feet room within the workshop. Two years ago, his father passed away.
Mr. Pawar is grateful that he is alive and his family is unharmed. “That’s all we need. We can always get back whatever we have lost,” he said. “Our life has not been easy. It is only going to get tougher. But at least we are fine and we have each other.”
