Bhubaneswar: For the past two weeks, life of Suchismita Muduli Baron in Israel has been defined by blaring air raid sirens, tense silences and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. The Odia scientist, who hails from Bhubaneswar, and is settled in southern Israel with her husband and two sons, has barely stepped outside her house since the tensions with Iran escalated.“This (Sunday) morning, the sirens which indicate possible missile attacks started at 5 (8.30am Indian time) and continued till 8. In fact, every day revolves around staying alert for sirens, rushing to shelter and reassuring my children that they are safe,” said Baron, a mother of a two-year-old and six-year-old sons.Life, she said, has completely changed ever since the war between the US-Israel and Iran broke out. Every house in her locality, including hers, has a shelter room made of metal, and every time a siren goes off, she and her two children have a minute to rush to the safe room. “We are lucky to have shelters in our houses but in Tel Aviv, there are children who have been staying in bunkers for days. My children have learnt to stay safe and calm, but as a mother, it is heartbreaking to see them grow with this fear,” she said, adding that this is her first war experience.All the more, her husband, who serves the Israeli Army, is fighting the war now. While she focuses on keeping her children safe at home, he is stationed miles away in the region facing active conflict. Amidst the uncertainty, she is also running an online merchandise store of patriotic products, the proceedings of which go towards helping Israeli families affected in the war.Even as the majority of attacks are targeting north and central Israel areas like Tel Aviv, besides neighbouring Lebanon, her area has faced at least 1,000 missile interceptions so far. “Attacks are happening every day. But it is not the missiles that one fears because they are being intercepted majorly. It is the debris of the missiles that are the real threat as the huge ones can destroy houses. Govt has asked us to remain in shelters even after interceptions,” said the scientist who pursued her PhD in medical science at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, and is now working on a project on cancer cure.Fortunately, supply of clean drinking water, daily essentials and medicines has not been disrupted so far. The Israeli govt has ensured that people do not face any scarcity of food, water and healthcare, but schools and offices have remained closed since the attacks began, she said.While Baron has been in Israel for the last 10 years, she said there are a number of Odia students who are pursuing medical education in the country. All of them are also in a state of panic, she said.
