March 24th would remain etched in the memory of every Indian for ages to come. With a four-hour notice, the Prime Minister announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown. This was an unprecedented move in the history of India but so was the cause. Coronavirus was widening its gripping on India and we are fighting back to the best of our abilities.
My first reaction to the lockdown was mild panic. I sensed this coming and had stocked up on groceries in time. However, the fear of running out of stock was so difficult to fight, that I bought a couple more packets of even items that I’d never buy. What flowed in the following days was immense gratitude.
As I lay restless in bed, I thought I should chronicle my life during COVID 19.
The Hyundai Creta that I had wanted to buy till some days ago seemed worthless.
The job that seems boring at times, felt precious.
The house seemed a lot bigger.
I learnt how to cook with far fewer dishes.
I didn’t toss the not-so-tasty last bites of food into the bin.
The cacophony of birds felt magical.
Weekends felt like truly earned off-days.
A smiling neighbor became a rare sight.
The bylanes of my neighborhood felt like abandoned blocks of lego.
Realized I could go without junk food.
The Air Purifier showed an unbelievably low digit.
In this tussle between the silence of my surroundings and constant chaos in my mind, I realized that I have so much more than I could ask for. Sitting in the luxury of our homes, let us not complain about the things that are amiss. Let us all take this time to be thankful for being in the company of our loved ones, in a country that is using every trick in its sleeve – scientific and metaphysical to ward off this pandemic.
An Enigmatic Life 