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on the roof of their house. Initially, they thought that the trees had
damaged the roof and walls of the house but later, they realized that this
proved to be beneficial for them. As they were trapped in the house, they
ate the raw coconuts from these trees and saved themselves from dying
due to starvation.

For the next two days, Prashant sat huddled with his friend’s family in
the open on the rooftop. They froze in the cold and incessant rain; the
rain water washed away Prashant’s tears. The only thought that flashed
through his mind was whether his family had survived the fury of the
super cyclone. Was he to be bereaved once again?

huddled: together in a group
flashed through his mind: came to his mind
Bereaved: to have lost a family member or a friend to death

They spent the next two days on the rooftop. Everyone was so scared
that they sat together in a group. It was very cold and the continuous

rain washed away Prashant’s tears. He was worried about his family
members. Maybe he could have lost another family member and would
be in grief over the loss of a loved one once again. This thought worried

Prashant.
Two days later, which seemed to Prashant like two years, the rain
ceased and the rain waters slowly began to recede. Prashant was
determined to seek out his family without further delay. But the situation
was still dangerous, and his friend’s family pleaded with Prashant to stay
back a little while longer. But Prashant knew he had to go.

Recede: reduce

The rain stopped after two days. It seemed to Prashant that the two
days’ time was as long as the duration of two years. This shows that it
was very difficult for him to pass the time as the worry about his family’s
well - being worried him. The rain had stopped and the water was
receding gradually. Although it was dangerous to go out, he did not
waste any more time and left to find his family. His friend’s family
requested Prashant to stay back but he left.

He equipped himself with a long, sturdy stick, and then started on his
eighteen-kilometer expedition back to his village through the swollen
flood waters. It was a journey he would never forget. He constantly had
to use his stick to locate the road, to determine where the water was
most shallow. At places it was waist deep, and progress was slow. At
several points, he lost the road and had to swim. After some distance,
he was relieved to find two friends of his uncle who were also returning
to their village. They decided to move ahead together.