This is Planet Money from NPR.

When we get out of Mala Madhi on the line, he won't tell us where he is.

Not what city, not what country, not even what continent.

It's not a secret, but I'd rather not say.

What he will say is that he's with his loved ones, he's safe, and like the rest of us,

he's been watching what's happening in Afghanistan, and specifically its economy and trying

to make sense of it all.

But unlike most of us, he helps set up some of the systems that made Afghanistan's modern

economy run.

And just a month ago, he was still working on those systems because of who he is.

My name is Otsumala Madhi, I'm 43 years old, and I'm the former central bank governor

of Afghanistan.

August 15th was already kind of a strange day to be running the government's bank.

A Shmal was in his office in Kabul.

He was the acting governor at the time, appointed by the American backed government.

News had been coming in from all over Afghanistan that the Taliban was taking over different cities

and regions.

And a Shmal knew that Kabul would fall to the Taliban soon.

So much so that when he arrived at work that Sunday, he had two packed suitcases in his

car.

Still, the changes that happened so suddenly that I don't think anyone could have said

or expected this.

...