When i first ventured out to the main road during the nationwide lock down to buy vegetables and provisions for the week it twisted my heart to see the main road which was always highly congested with vehicles without a single one on it.It was bare like a desert!It made me feel very lonely and this unnatural sight raised my anger at China.I would abuse that country thoroughly at the way they have brought our country to a stand still.On top of that they attacked and killed our soldiers at our border right in the midst of the Corona scare they have unleashed on us.
Freaks .They seem to specialise in putting up a great show of friendship towards us and then stab us viz our PM's on their backs by lulling them into complacency or are when they are at their lowest ebb.First they did it to Nehru and now to Modi.
WION tv would show pictures of how China was back to normal with their people visiting the Great wall of China whilst we, not 1 million or 2 but 1 .3 billion and were wary and fearful and leading a abnormal life locked into our houses because of them. .This would infuriate me further and I was 100 % sure that the Chinese have created this monster Bio Weapon and have leashed it on the world and us.I am also sure that they have antidote since their casuality numbers is very very less when compared to us , the U.S , Brazil and several their countries .Just a few hundreds? In the origin of the country which is more populous than ours ! Really some thing is fishy.
When i walked towards the shop wearing double mask I made from my sari ,[Those days there was scarcity of masks, till Corona set in only surgeons wore them] which I hated to wear but wore it .What amazed and thrilled me was was that all plants and trees looked in pink of health.Full of lush green leaves and aromatic flowers .So they were not affected .It was only us.
Outside the shop rows upon rows of motor bikes would be parked with young men in Dunzo T shirts milling around talking merrily, sipping tea whilst waiting for their turn .Inside the shop it was like a kitchen of a marriage hall.Sales boys would unload vegetables and sales girls would be busy filling baskets with on line orders.They would jostle , even me in their hurry and would chat and gossip happily like as if the terrorist Corona was nowhere around!
I wondered at their lack of fear .Then it struck me , Oh Yes this Corona Asura was attacking only those above 60 and not youngsters.So they were as normal as ever .I liked being amongst them , though the fear was always lurking that any one of them could have asymptomatic Corona and pass it on to me.I had no other go , i had to visit the shop for weekly veggies as i am not savy about apps etc etc .I also had to take a little risk to so as to uplift my dampened spirits .
Seeing their youthful zest and lack of fear made me wonder ,Were the youngsters of India chaffing at being locked up at home in order to save 60 + people ?Were they angry at us , who already have one leg in the grave , .for shackling their youthful energy and enjoyment of life?
It is a cycle .In the second wave it was the youth who were scared and many of us viz oldies like me had been vaccinated and were raring to go out but had to be locked up in the house for their sake.
.Back to lock down days.
In our flat all those above 60 had gone into a long hibernation.They never came out for months ,till lockdown was lifted.Wise but boring.
On and off I used to go to my terrace for excecuting the doctor mandated walks.I never used the lift fearing contamination.I would take apiece of paper and touch the hand rails of the staircase , with it and throw it and then use another piece of paper whilst coming down.
TV and U tube were full of videos showing how one should use a lift.Take a pen and press the button with it etc.It is funny now but at that time i was guzzling it.Those days were fear filled .Every one was a untouchable.Whole India became fetishly clean and hygenic , in short' Madi '[excessively clean]The 'Madi 'that Brahmins are accused of practising had gripped the entire nation .Karma!
There were funny videos about working family men spending their time indoors. One counted the bars and railings constantly with uttermost seriousness whilst another would play with his children's toys along with them There was also a video of a man walking cautiously on the road, with a white paper stuck on his back that read." I am going to ration shop .Please don't beat me.[to the police]."
There was also a Tamil Rap song .The singer [ I think from slum tenements] would sing mournfully as to how the cunning China karan [man from China] was attacking him and us from every street , gully and nook and corner without giving anyone any chance of escape.
It was funny .It also made me realise that my ire was shared by all.
Up in the terrace i used to see other women flat mates.They were not fettish like me.They sat on steps and on the floor close to each other and chatted.I wondered at their fearlessness. Then it struck me .One was below 60 and the other above 80.The former had no fear then and the latter had seen it all.
One day whilst watching the sky turning red with the rays of setting sun i started thinking about this microbe Corona.Watching the reddened sky it struck me that this creepy repulsive round creature that was constantly shown on TV news making me want to switch to channels that didn't, had a Atma.
It is a living thing so it has a soul or atma which is shrouded with tons of Karma .It will also get Moksham one day that is eons and eons from now.
In those lonely fearful days of interment the call by our PM to show torch light in the evening to encourage health workers was a great diversion and a highly social bonding act.
It was at that night that i saw most of my neighbours on their balconies .We waved and smiled at each other .It made me feel that I wasnt alone .There are millions of us in similar situation and we have this chance to socialise.No need to talk .Just seeing plenty of people around is suffice to lift one's spirits.No wonder that we are called social animals.
Several people from opposite tenements also took part enthusiastically in this .
The next social bonding was the tinkling of bells and banging on plates etc.We all heeded to PM's call once and did it enthusiastically.I enjoyed those few minutes of social bonding even national bonding, the show of strength,unity,and spirit against this unknown alien terror stalking our lives.
Saw migrants walking to their villages on tv.Majority of them were strapping young lads , neatly attired and had suitcases on wheels.They didnot look like the workers of the past who would all be thin ,and dirtily clad.India has come a long way.
It may sound callous but whilst many were pitying them [on tv , politicians etc]for walking, i didnt' .They seemed be very fit to undertake it.
In comparison to the laxity at start and middle of the deadlier second wave shown by all of us was the Govt a bit too strict to go for complete lockdown when there was only 500 cases.
We are all wiser after the event.That time it seemed to be the correct thing to do and we all obeyed terrorised by this new unseen ,unfathomable enemy right in our midst..
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