LOCKDOWN DIARIES: A TALE OF LOVE, GRIEF AND HOPE!!

“It’s crazy how Time flies and how things progress!”, and there’s no greater illustration of this statement than our lives which has seen one of the toughest times one can imagine in the last one year. 21st March 2021: Should I say the 1st Anniversary of Covid-19 enlightenment in India or the 1st Anniversary of Janata Curfew (Complete Lockdown) in India. Don’t know what to say but I can proudly tell it is a moment of pride for all of us: We have battled out one of the deadliest things we (this Generation Kids!!) have ever seen, or at least made our way through those gruelling times back in 2020. (Mind You!! there’s still a long way to go!!) Lockdown 2020: A period of happiness for a few, a period of hope for a few, a period of relief for a few, a period of realization for a few, but sadly it was also a period of extreme grief for many around us. While most of us were annoyed sitting at home: annoyed with the lack of internet connection, lack of entertainment, lack of wealth, lack of luxury, we hardly noticed those unlucky and helpless people who lacked even the basic things like: Food, Shelter & Love (from the Loved ones!!). While all of us did something or the other to help those unfortunate people, there were a lot of them whose calls/cries went unanswered and this is one such instance that I have encountered and all I could do was pen down a poem wiping the tears rolling down my cheeks!! The Lockdown Diaries_2k20 Sometime back in 2020: Things were new or we were in the new normal... The virus had shown its might and there was a huge upsurge in the positive cases. Schools & Colleges Shut, Offices closed, Road’s empty except a few returning to their place, Streets silent, Cops Vigil, Puzzled authorities, People fearful: All the background in which I spent those 2-3 months. A period in which the whole world took a halt and had no clue about the future. Everybody remained at their last location and were extremely afraid if they could see their families again or if they could fight this virus out. In the midst of all this, the only time we could see the world was between 5 AM and 7 AM only to buy the basic supplies. On one such day, I accompanied my father to the nearby grocery store on his bike. As soon as we made our way on to the highway while returning home, I happened to see hundreds of people walking in queues on the pavement with luggage on their head. I was awestruck by the scene and asked my father to drive close to a group of youngsters among the huge crowd, who took a break to rest under a Banyan tree in their tirelessly long journey. As soon as we reached them, I saw a youngster named Senthil, who migrated all the way from South-Bihar to work at a construction site in Perambalur, sitting depressed in a corner. We enquired his whereabouts and gradually we made him feel comfortable and asked if we could help him in any way. All of a sudden, he started to sob very loudly and couldn’t control himself. A little later after he made himself feel good, he shared his heart out weeping. He told us that he got married to the love of his life very recently. He recollected all the loving memories they had in the little time they were together and shared his tough plight away from her. Later, He said, “I promised her that I would return very soon and take her to the place I worked so that we could live together”, sniffing tears of sorrow. I was greatly moved away by his helplessness. Although I wanted to do something for him, that day, all I could do was, give him the fruits that we bought from the grocery store and tell him a few words of support. As soon as I reached home, I could not stop my tears rolling as I lived his struggles in my imagination. A little later, when the government decided to arrange buses, to help migrant workers, to get back to their homes, I recalled the young-innocent lady desperately waiting for the arrival of her husband. On that note, I stepped into the shoes of the young lady and penned down a poem depicting her happy-tears when she sees her husband after a long time. Her Quarantine!! ********* I have not been quarantined by the pandemic, But, by your absence, Until yesterday!! I have not been able to see the dawn, Like, I did. I have not been able to see the chuckle, Like, I did.. I have not been able to see the exhilaration, Like, I did... I have not been able to see the ecstatic world, Like, I did.... I have not been quarantined by the pandemic But, by the vacuum between us, Until yesterday!! I sojourned myself to the world of thoughts, And voyaged in vain, To the mysterious world discovering myself. I sojourned myself to the world of serenity And pretended to be fine, To the simulated world that I made for myself. I sojourned myself to the world of dismay And hoped reconciliation, To the blissed world that I have had for myself, With you!! I have not been quarantined by the pandemic, But, by your absence, Until yesterday!! ********* Looking at all that happened around us over the last one year, I feel the lockdown and the unprecedented virus, in particular, has taught us the way of life with morals, values, and emotions; more than what we could have learnt in our lifetime.