I hurried my steps and reaching the sitting room window, threw it open. As I looked up, a huge ball of fire leapt out in the cold morning air from the top floor apartment in the right side of the building. Then I saw my next door neighbor - this Chinese guy. It was he who had knocked at my door. I saw his entire family outside - a look of absolute terror on the faces of his 2 children.

When he saw me peeping out of the window he called out again "Oh… please don't stay inside the apartment, come out , come out." There was a loud hiss from the fire above and I did not lose another minute. Grabbing the keys from the table I rushed out.

By this time a thin crowd had begun to gather on the road in front of the building. I ran to the apartment of one of my friends who happened to stay in the same complex but in another building. I did not have to knock, I saw him and his wife in the door looking worried.

"I was about to come there myself. Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes. I am fine. I ran out as soon as my neighbors gave an alarm. It is the right side top apartment"

"You don't have your purse with you. I hope you took your passport with you when you left"

"No, it did not strike me. I just grabbed the keys and ran for my life"

"How could you be so careless? You should have taken your passport."

"Let me go back and get it" I said desperately.

Before they could stop me, I ran back to my apartment. The fire engine was standing right next to the apartment and a group of fire fighters were standing next to it. Suddenly I saw one of them strike at the glass of the front door of my apartment. "Stop, whatever are you doing that for?" I shouted and the fire fighter standing next to me said "We don't know who stays there. We have to carry water hose in there and also ensure that there is no one inside". By the time I could explain that I stayed there and no one else, the glass was broken.

Looking at the dismay on my face he explained "We were asking about the tenant to check if we could have the key. Where were you miss?"

"I had gone to my friend's place close by. Listen .. I have left my passport and other important documents inside. Can I please go and get them?" I pleaded with him but he shook his head "No miss, you cannot go inside."

I stared helplessly at my friend who had followed me. What was I supposed to do now? My mind was a whirlpool of so many thoughts - all bumping into each other. Didn't I know all about these apartments since I came to stay in this country? All wooden structures!!! But how can it happen to me? Don't all these things always happen to other people?

"Oh....It can happen to anyone, anytime!!" one of my friends had remarked not long ago while we all had sat watching news of a fire nearby. But the reality had sunk in only now when it was happening to me today.

'Yes....it can happen to anyone, anytime' I looked at my apartment again and at the firemen carrying a water hose into it.

'My documents!! How could I just come out without taking them with me? What if they all are destroyed in this blaze? What am I going to do then? No, I don't think that the fire will reach my apartment. It is safe… at least this time. But can you be so sure IF there is next time?'

Buying a fireproof safe was always on the shopping list but somehow I had never got to doing it. 'If only they give me 5 minutes now, I will take them out. Sure…you can get them out now but what if this had happened when you were in the office, at a friend's place or out of the country? What then? What then? I must make copies of all important documents, get them notarized and keep at least 2 sets with different friends. I will do it first thing on Monday morning. No more delaying.' I felt better after that decision.

Then for the first time, I noticed the state of my Chinese neighbor's apartment. The fire had spread to it through the roof and we all could see a fierce blaze despite all the efforts of the firemen. The family was standing close together looking helplessly at their life's savings going up in the flames. "Don't worry, the firemen are doing all they can to save your stuff" I wished for the first time I knew how to say it in their language. It would have been much better to console them that way.

"We lost everything in our children's room - including their PC" sobbed his wife. I had no idea if they had any insurance and it did not seem nice to ask them about it. I did not know whether the people responsible for it were supposed to pay. God knows what the law is? "At least all of us are safe." I was amazed at the words of the husband. And then I remembered that in this commotion I had totally forgotten to thank this guy who had ensured that myself and my upper floor neighbor were safe while his own apartment was on fire. "It is because of you that I am safe. I don't know how to thank you. Xie Xie" The last two words were about all the Chinese I knew.

After what seemed like ages the fire was put out. The firemen allowed us all to get into our respective apartments. "Where will you be going now?" I asked the family. "We will go to our friend's place for the weekend. The landlady told us to shift into another apartment on Monday. What about you? Your apartment looks fine."

"Yes, but I am too shaken to stay there at the moment. I will go to my friend's place after collecting some stuff. I will return in the evening. Please let me know if you need any help during shifting."

A group of 3-4 teenagers caught my eye before I turned to get into my apartment. They must be the occupants of the apartment where the fire started. I had never seen them, only heard them at odd hours of night. It was when one of them coolly lit his cigarette that I realized what had caused all the mischief.

I finally came into my own apartment where the floor was all wet with water from the hose. Fragments of the broken glass pane from the front door were lying near the door and the whole air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke.