'Will our home still be standing tomorrow?' Northeast relives its annual flood heartbreak

"O! The mad torrents of the Luit,Where are you rushing toWith a thunderous roarIn a deathly garb repeatedlyWho are you chasing…"Penned by the 'Bard of the Brahmaputra' Bhupen Hazarika in 1968, these haunting lines remain as relevant today as they were more than five decades ago. Hazarika's ode to the mighty Brahmaputra or the Luit, as it is affectionately called in Assam, captures not just the river's grandeur but also its terrifying power.Every year, as the southwest monsoon gathers strength, the river swells, changes course and reminds millions living along its banks that nature can be both life-giving and unforgiving.For Assam, floods are not merely a seasonal event. They are an annual reality that uproots families, washes away livelihoods and forces people to rebuild their lives over and over again.For many of us, the arrival of the monsoon is wrapped in nostalgia.