Well, this is it. COVID 19 came spoiled my grand day, we were under lockdown for nearly two months, some in containment, and then Unlockdown - what happened, nothing. The statistics show a drastic rise in the number of cases. Everyone is blaming everyone else. People flout all rules - have birthday parties, kitty parties, unnecessary get-togethers, don't maintain physical distance and blame the government for not taking adequate precautions. The private hospitals say they are not being allowed to serve the needy, and when given the chance, jack up the prices and commercialise the entire tragedy. The government says the death rate is low, so its a victory. Well, who knows, might be the situation would have been worse if not for the lockdown.
But as a layman, who is not well-versed with the medical jargon and not at all into political or economic repercussions, what should we do? They say "Stay home, stay safe". I don't mind that but for how long? We do have to get out for essentials or to take care of parents' need or get a tap or a bulb fixed in the house, then what? They say "mask, disinfectant and physical distance" are our best friends now. The virus is here to stay, we better get used to it - the new normal.
By nature, I am not a person who panics easily. I can handle medical and non-medical emergencies calmly and without getting too worked up. I get anxious but once I know the cause or have a plan in place I am good to go. But this pandemic has turned me into a scaredy-cat. Every time someone sneezes or coughs, I startle. Every visit to the vegetable market either ends up in a fight or returning half-way out of disgust and frustration (I am surrounded by morons who think wearing a mask and maintaining distance is for losers). When I see the news of how people in the US and the UK are flocking their beaches, I hyperventilate (apparently it was the hottest day). The other day my maid said a 30-year old in her building passed away suddenly without any apparent (or revealed) cause, I told her not to come for a week (she is the watchman at that neighbouring building and stays there). Am I overreacting? I hate this "new normal" which is making us watch over our shoulder all the time.
I am remembering my childhood, especially my grandmother. Feels like I am living her life with her rules all over again. As soon as we enter the gate, we had to wash our feet. Next, we were to discard our "street clothes", wash our hands and face with soap (have a bath if feasible) and don our "house clothes". Only then could we talk, or have a glass of water, or do whatever in the house. Guests were restricted to the drawing-room, only close relatives were allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum. She never allowed the maid inside the house. For sweeping and mopping, the maid was allowed after all the morning activities were over and most adults had left the house on their business, ie when the house was practically empty. We, kids, were driven out to play in the backyard, till the maid finished her "inside work". The maid's entry into the kitchen was a big no-no. My grandmother would leave the vessels outside and the maid would leave them at the threshold after wash. My grandmother would rinse them and then bring them into the kitchen. Grocery shopping was done once a year, all the items sun-dried before storing them away for the rest of the year. New clothes were to be washed before wear, how we used to crib that the new clothes don't feel new. Are we not doing the exact same things now? Wash our hands and feet as soon as we enter the house, sanitize all the veggies and groceries before use, rinse all the utensils after maid washes them.
They say there is no going back, but guess we are going back to the roots.
