The circle keeps getting smaller

Have you noticed how in the last ten years we've been hearing about natural disasters and terrorist attacks much more than before. And while sometimes these attacks and disasters happen in your own backyard, you still hear the whole thing in a suspended sense of disbelief. Yeah, people died in the chaat shop in Hyderabad, but no one you knew was close by to be affected. It was a sad event, but it wasn't YOUR sad event.

But the events start happening more frequently, and the odds are stacked against you. It starts with a friend's friend, or friend's cousin, and it moves without warning to your immediate circle. So when you hear that your sister is stuck in a place that has been hit by flash floods and there is no way to contact her, you're not sure how to react, or even think. It was almost like a hole had been carved out of my stomach, and you can't eat, you can't think clearly. All you can do is will her to call you. Strangely enough, there were hardly any tears.

My friend thought I was being morbid when I asked her to find out if there were any tourists among casualties. I wasn't. I just wanted to rule out all possibilities.

My sister is safe now. She had an adventurous trip. But, I can't stop thinking about how the circle is getting smaller.