PANDEMIC DIARIES

 What used to be insignificant is now a significant and pleasant sight!! 

The kite which was just a flying object far across the sky now appears swimming in the air!

The birds which have always flown during evenings, now seem lika a beautiful sight of colors coming together, creating that magical sound, reminding me of the romantic movies I enjoyed back then..

The sound of the breeze which I never noticed earlier, now brings a sense of calmness in me, making me forget the pandemic..

The blooming flowers which were plucked routinely earlier, now gives me a sense of excitement to wake up and experience that joy..

The fast-paced life earlier went by without a purpose, but now, these times have given me moments to cherish..

The random weekend treks done earlier seem so stressful, compared to the ones done now, which have been so pleasant; the mere experience of sitting on rocks with a book, no rush to get back to the routine; spreading a table to have a memorable meal amidst greens, the music coming out of the Bose speaker-heard loud enough to just be with yourself..

The binge-watch worthy Netflix shows which have left beautiful messages in my heart, never really seemed important then..

The morning walk with a rush to get back earlier, now makes me smile and just feel the breeze entering my eyes to remove the soggyness and clearing up negative thoughts..

The snack making time in the evening, which I would resent earlier, now gives me so much enthusiasm to make new stuff everyday and gain some extra kilos as a family!!

The shelf cleaning routine which would be done in a hush hush earlier, has now given me immense joy to admire my clothes collection, making me recollect the moments spent to choose each one of them..

The enormous time I spent capturing numerous videos of vacations, places, my son's childhood etc , which many said is a waste of space on my hard disk, is now bringing tears of complete joy, while I endlessly watch .. How worthy indeed!

The hygiene practices, I never gave a damn earlier, have been a significant part of my life now and give me a sense of great security and peace; not a bit of stress..

Although I miss borrowing the hook-stick from my neighbour, to pluck the golden sampige/champaka flowers of this season, I secretly glance at the beauty of those untouched members of the tree..

The so-so swept and mopped floor by the maid was such a disappointment earlier, but doing it myself now brings a sense of contentment, looking at the shining,glossy floor and thanking God for the privilege I have..living in such a beautiful house..

The traffic which always caused irritation earlier, now looks bright and happening and brings a sense of hope that there is somebody else with you during this deserted period..

The 4th floor open space in UB city, which was always bustling with people and noisy, now gave us that time to spend in solitude..without distractions and just be with each other, happily reliving the ice-cream cone eating days..

The music which just ran into my ears randomly earlier, now drowns into my mind, while I frantically enjoy the lyrics..

The wallpaper, the chandelier, the mere curtains which always went unnoticed, now form a part of my admiration list, because most of the time is spent amidst these..

The kids who regularly cycled in the evenings, shouting with those cute voices, while I had a quiet tea-time on my couch earlier, are now a treat to my eyes and I realise how much I have missed experiencing this sight..

Experiencing simple pleasures in life had taken a back seat..and remained spoken of in Ted talks, entertainment shows and such.. The actual experience brings a smile on your face from time to time and makes you realise the value of life!

On the other hand,

The insignificant vegetable vendors who have been shouting from morning till evening to sell off their cart content now seem irritating though! There's not a single time in the day when there's complete silence..

The hospital visits which were never scary earlier, are more stressful now..

The interaction with neighbours which used to a favorite pastime is now measured and distanced, associated with a sense of worry..

The outing with friends which was most awaited earlier, looks like a dream of the future..

The colorful celebrations with family which used to be the talk of the times..from sarees to jewellery to gifts to photos has now become a big No-No..

The long drives..vacations..sight-seeing which brought immense joy earlier now dont seem that dear..

These times will not come back and should not come back again!! These times will not come back, so sit back and enjoy the 'me-time' of your lives!

All this said, I cant wait for everything to get back to normal again, for, many families have not got to enjoy these moments. My heart goes out to the ones who have lost loved ones, the health care workers endlessly working without any family time, the small scale shopkeepers who are struggling to make ends meet, the delivery guys who are working relentlessly to keep us safe and comfortable, the farmers, the police force and the other backbones of our country who have kept going ..no matter what!

Let us stay safe, follow safety protocols and give these people some time to create memories too!!