Question

Write a composition (350-400 words)
Write an original short story that begins with the words: "In the background I could hear an awful commotion, men's voices raised and women screaming."

Answer 1

In the background I could hear an awful commotion, men's voice raised and women screaming. I was thoroughly perplexed and could ot make any head or tail out of the matter. The disturbance caused to my sleep made me feel irritated and it was only an hour ago that I went to sleep. I tried to put my pillow covering both the ears, but of no avail. The voice was too severe, and by now I was sure that something terrible had happened.I threw my sheet and rushed towards the window and was aghast to find that thick black clouds of smoke were emanating in the sky. The whole scenario was one of chaos and hundreds of people had come out of their homes with buckets full of water and trying in their own peculiar way to extinguish the fire. Huge flames of fire leapt into the sky making the scene look tremulous and terrifying. Gasping at the sight I felt suffocated for smoke, by now had covered the entire scenario. I rushed downstairs, with my legs staggering, on the verge of falling, I caught the railing and descended down. I woke up my parents and sister, for they were fast asleep, as their room was in the rear. They too were totally bewildered for it was 2'o clock at night, we reached out and joined the crowd which was besirk with shrieks and clamours, people were running desperately, shouting for water everywhere. I tried to ask somebody about what had happened and he stared at me rudely, and later raised his finger to the left to indicate what was happening. I was transfixed on seeing the multi storeyed building caught in blazing fire. A lot of smoke was rushing out of its many floors - nothing seemed to be clearly visible as the block hideous smoke spread its empire everywhere and the whole building was lost in a pack of miseries and cries of people shouting for help. The Nehru building was disastrously caught in fire, without any possibility of rescue and escape. I never had such a bewildering experience except in a few English movies where I had encountered such demolishing fire - ready to swallow each and everything at sight.Presently, I could see many fire tenders rushing to the spot. The Jawans came out in a flash and their heavy rubber pipes started throwing water while some of them tried to put up the long stairs to rest on the walls where people could be still seen waving their hands for help. The in charge, was supervising his team superbly on the spur of the moment as if he was used to such calamities and tragic despair. He divided his men into four teams and was trying to cover the building on three sides for pumping water, and the people trapped in the building were asked to moved to the other side. It was an open side and there was a good possibility to rescue people from there. The building adjoining to this was still safe and it was connected with a strong ladder, the people trapped inside were asked to move to another building by it. Throughout the desperate operation the supervisor was a genius, his presence of mind was remarkable for he succeeded in vacating the building. This was the most devastating and dangerous live experience I witnessed.