The 3rd December, 1984 was a usual Monday, a weekly off for my first branch at Bhopal. I woke up late, wrote replies to letters received during the week and after despatching the same went to my favourite restaurant at number 10 stop for having my lunch around 1 P.M.

While going back to my home, suddenly I saw people running helter-skelter with their faces covered. I stopped one of them to know the reason. He was gasping for breath due to running and fear, but he hastily murmured, ” गैस फिर से लीक हो गया (Gas has leaked again)” and kept running.

The Union Carbide plants were located in old Bhopal, while I was residing in the other part of the city, new Bhopal. This was precisely the reason why I couldn’t come to know about the late night gas emissions till the next morning.