14 Days of Quarantine

Suddenly the news of Pandemic busted people to migrate back to their hometown before the presence of absenteeism lasts for a long time. 

Like the crowd, I also went hollowing to the airport to go home as I could afford such price of luxury.

The airport was nothing more than a vulnerable spot where people were hankering to reach their destiny.

As I stood in the airport amidst the brawl of the passengers the airport didn’t look familiar to me anymore. 

I was wearing my mask and cleaning my hands with sanitizer rapidly every second and kept on shivering as I looked at every other person in a doubt that they might carry the virus and ruin my immune system and I contaminate others because for the next couple of months.

 I have to share a home with diabetic Baba and hypertensive Maa. So I can’t be the hotspot of the death at my own home. 

As soon I landed I was sealed for Quarantine and I headed towards my journey to home.

 I saw my parents eyes in teary relaxation as one of their daughters was finally rescued back at home.

 And I went back to my room and Quarantine myself because this virus doesn’t discriminate.

Quarantine 1-

I was getting calls from all my distant friends and relatives asking me about my wellbeing. 

I saw my mom keeping holy water of Ganga outside my door for me to consume.

So that I can fight from ill-health. She made me eat all the herbs, vitamins just for my body to be strong in this ruthless hours. 

And that day I believed in everything she asked me do and I didn’t question her because in her eyes I could see the heaviness she was carrying.

Quarantine 2-

My maa kept on keeping all the herbs and vitamins outside my door for me to eat. I could see how my dogs were howling to jump up to me but my baba told just a few more days we all will be in the same room.

 I saw my maa keeping a check on me after every hour do I have a cough, do I have a fever because a simple sneeze would take her in front of the deities worshipping for my health.

Quarantine 3-

I was asked by my teachers to attend google classes which bothered maybe at this time also education was more important than mental health. 

As nobody talked about it and as a slave to this education system we all attended classes and kept on doing our assignment and uploading it.

Quarantine 4-

I was going through mood swings as sometimes I would be happy and sometimes depressed. I was going through a Lego of emotions although loneliness didn’t bother me ever this time subconsciously I was afraid. 

I kept on googling even for the slightest uneasiness hoping I am not infected. I tried to deviate my mind but I couldn’t as social media was a bag of negative thoughts. So I decided to sleep.

 

Quarantine 5-

I made up my mind to uninstall social media. So I went back on watching television. Because it was being a long time with whom I had a conversation with. 

But television showed me the pictures of so many deaths, the slaughter of mankind, families with no food, the world again divided in the name religion. 

when we need each other the most we ended up giving shelter and protection to the virus rather than circulating the voice of togetherness.

 

Quarantine 6-

I saw my Maa bringing more of different herbs as she has gathered too much information from different sources I tried to calm her down but Maa will never listen. 

Baba said to me than just a few more days listen to her.

But I had to channelize my energy into something positive.

 So I decided to clean my entire room and I washed all my clean clothes and I realized even washing and drying your clothes in art and by evening I managed to iron them all.

 

Quarantine 7-

I binge-watched movies and series but I no longer enjoyed them as I used to. So I went to my veranda to see the empty roads. I saw a few people with ration.

I observed how beautifully the trees were dancing, the sky was so clear like it has applied makeup, the roads were so clean like ever before, the dogs were playing sleeping in the middle of the road. 

The weather outside my room was so peaceful and calm and heart was overwhelmed as I saw my India for the first time.

 

Quarantine 8-

It was my maa 50 birthday. Earlier I planned on to visit her and give her a surprise on her birthday. And today I am with her in the same house but different rooms and I couldn’t even hug and wish her. 

Maa called me and said your baba bought me chocolate today and she was so happy.

And at night my sister, me, Maa Baba we were all together in video call bluffing, laughing, talking about good old days just to be together on Maa ‘s birthday. 

Divided by borders united by technology and like all typical mother, she said I saw all of your faces on my birthday I got the most expensive gift.

 

Quarantine 9-

I was counting days 5 more days to go. I started to make plans what I will do once I go out of my room. I jotted down food recipes that I will cook, I started to write poetries to publish in my page, I tried to re-clean my room again and again.

 So that I don’t give Maa this time the opportunity to complain about cleanliness. I tried to put on all the thoughts of planning what to do like a soldier who is going home after a long long time.

 

Quarantine 10-

I didn’t count the days any more as  I was low on energy. 

The news of these viruses exploded my mind.  Poor people survival became just their problem, not us, I saw news of a man selling his wife Payal to bring food but still, these political parties were playing their propaganda of insulting one another just because of the power of the superiority. 

Police, Doctor was tortured brutally for doing their responsibility to safeguard us.

Oh!! Humans what kind are you? 

 

Quarantine 11-

I was disheartened. So I ate and slept the whole day 

 

Quarantine 12-

I felt lonely. So I ate and slept the whole day 

 

Quarantine 13-

I saw people uploading their new developed quarantine hobbies on social media. 

Now also we couldn’t rest or take a break from societal pressure. 

Maybe for humans showing off is a new survival. I laughed and went on sleeping.

 

Quarantine 14-

I was happy and sad both at the same time. 

Maybe my mental health was not keeping well.

So I ate and slept the whole day.

 

Quarantine 15-

Finally, I took a breathe when I hugged Maa and Baba and we all had breakfast on the same dining table. No longer I was perilous for my home.

So, as I held my glass of wine I observed my hands how beautiful they looked and then I recall my hands that day in the airport dry, pale, dark, breathless with a sanitizer, shivering. 

And I saw what difference it has made in my life.