Sunday morning in Afghanistan as Kabul University was evacuated. Some teachers asked male students to leave the classroom first and then they said goodbye to the female students who remained.

They did not explain why they said goodbye whether it was because Talma would not allow women just go to university anymore or they would separate boys and girls.

But everybody was in panic because every class, every office was evacuated today.

Student Aisha Karam told NPR that as someone who grew up in modern Afghanistan she felt privileged to have opportunities and in education.

Right now at this moment it looks like a nightmare. Everything that we have worked towards collapsing right before our eyes.

I don't know what to feel and thank anymore. Today I feel older than my age and I'm sure a lot of young people feel the same way.

That same afternoon Mahib Shandwari, a doctor in Kabul, was at work.

I was sitting there and suddenly there was something that they're here.

They're here. Rumors were swirling about whether the Taliban had really taken over or whether thieves and warlords were in charge.

And then like you're panic and we just wanted to reach to our homes and the way was like traffic damn no one could even move their cars. It was totally messed up.

As things got worse, Omej Sharifi, who runs a nonprofit arts organization in Kabul, was outside painting a mural.

12 PM, 1130, we were painting on one of the walls in Kabul and then suddenly there was a panic and chaos.

So I had to walk all the way to my house because I didn't know what is happening.

Sharifi told NPR three of his sisters were missing and he was trying to reach them.

It feels that this country is sinking. It feels that I'm not sure I may be able to paint again or not.

I'm not sure my organization will be there. I'm not sure if my paintings will be there tomorrow.

Elsewhere in the city NPR reached a man we're calling Reggie, who worked for years as a translator for the US military.

Now in the early afternoon, he watched from his roof as the local police station emptied out and was left abandoned.

There is no government official, no military. They're left and then after 30 minutes Taliban came and pretty easily entered.

And people gathered around them were watching what's exactly going on.

The Taliban fired shots in the air to disperse the crowd.

The cell service was spotty in his house so Reggie spoke to NPR from the street.

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