THE LOCK AND UNLOCK

 

“THE SOULFUL”

Dr. Chetasi Amjad

The worst mistake is not to make any” I heard, the teacher saying, while my daughter was attending her online classes. What a pearl of wisdom! Teachers are truly carvers of our life. Online teaching faced much criticism, though the efforts of schools and teachers made it swift for our children. And merely due to the availability of the internet, virtuality came into reality and education could be accessible to remotest of places… which was really an elephant task. we parents got a fun chance to literally live the school life again. Seeing our children, somehow I feel, these children are missing out on all the fun of punishments we used to get, the embarrassing murga pose … (contorting yourself in seemingly impossible pose), standing outside the class and of course the use of the thick stick, the sight of which used to scare us out of our wits.

Wow…some sweet and some bitter memories that unknowingly taught us to thrive in punishing conditions of life…and blending in our blood so much that we exhibit a unique quality ‘not to quit’ and is never an option.

Though, it is still fun, peeking through those online classes and hearing the funny questions children ask.
The novel coronavirus is compelling us to live the novel. It has become a supervirus leaving behind all its contemporaries and our fancy superheroes too. The imposed lockdown made up for all the lost time, encouraging couples to make more babies and we are an inch closer to become the number one populated country.

As we are getting acquainted with our new normal, sanitizers, masks, and social distancing that seemed far-fetched in Indian society and culture yesterday, now capturing our minds and taking a front seat in our daily life…the coronavirus is leaving no stone unturned to make us paranoid.

And here we are, in the middle of this unprecedented pandemic, choosing designer matching masks, scented sanitizers, ayurvedic disinfectants and racing in making PPE’S, stocking up the things which may last for a month or maybe years, but the very next day, visiting a supermarket finding ketchup becomes a must.

Lipsticks- are still highly disappointed and finding their place. Let’s pray for the makers.
The introverts are liking the world once again , exploring it their way, and enjoying all the privacy they never got in their whole lifetime. Doing office has never been so easy, you can be in your pajamas and still attend the meeting. You can enjoy a bottle of wine, a cozy sofa, and if you are lucky, an afternoon nap too.

I bet, you can be a showstopper and head-turner, it just needs, one to sneeze in a public place. You automatically create a safe distance too… an amazing no! but really, God saves the poor allergic people.
Ask women, where their universe lies? They will unanimously tell you; in their handbag! And it has got a value addition-the to mask, that too a designer one.

Five hundred rupees fine is making the mask more breathable and bearable too.
We 1.3 billion people made sure, Jeff Bezos; the Amazon owner stays in his richest position. In a true sense making it our “amma-Jan” and “abba” ‘too.

First, we devoured on all kinds of food as if the world is on the verge to end and now seeing growing horizontally and rounder, we started moving funnily here and there, but the weighing scale is not budging and moving at all…how stubborn one can be?
India is such an amazing country, where adversity becomes an opportunity.

The other day, I saw in the newspaper, the colorful pictures of Navratri. Immediately it hooked up my mind. The Ram, Sita, and Lakshman were wearing the masks, not to mention, matching their attire. Totally rocking the look and appearing like the true forms of modern deities.
I saw in the picture, Hanuman standing in the corner who literally stole the show, wearing a full PPE kit. I felt like he was smiling under that mask.

I wonder, how he must have struggled to keep his tail in its place!
This I call an incredible India! What an undying spirit of people who live here and make India, “The India”
Right now, I feel like we all are beginners who are taking the swimming lessons, that too in the middle of the unfathomable sea with dubious life support trying hard to get to the shore which is not visible far away. But I am pretty sure, we all will swim together and will reach the shore… So what, if it is taking a little time and trying our patience, we all will come out as heroes.
Sometimes, you lock yourself and all it takes is some right twists and turns to unlock and see a different “YOU”.