Lock down as a Boon

                        Ridhi  Nanda Arora

It is often said that blessings come in disguise. Certainly yes, they do. Nobody had ever wondered or imagined that life would be back to zero after this pandemic. The sudden announcement of the lockdown by government in the month of March, gave everyone an opportunity to explore themselves beyond a realm they had never thought of. Initially, it seemed very unrealistic and unbelievable to sit at home all the time, not meet family and friends, work from home and wash hands like a maniac every now and then. Some of us took it as fun, some of us frowned in frustration, but slowly and gradually we all got used to it. This pandemic has certainly changed the way we were living our lives and our point of view towards the life.

Many got an opportunity to live our childhood back again. The Ramayana and Mahabharata came as surprise packages. They became immediate sensations on television. People forgot their Netflix and Hotstar and glued to their televisions like yester years. The boring kitchen of mom suddenly turned into some five-star kitchen with unlimited treats. People also got an opportunity to explore their hobbies and other hidden talents. Some people became artists, some musicians, singers, painters, poets and writers and a few of them became chefs. People got more time to decorate their homes and maintain their gardens.

The nature around us appeared more beautiful than ever before, calling us in its sweet tone. The chirping of birds came back, cawing of the crows seemed melodious, the sky appeared brighter than before and the flowers seemed smiling to us. The beautiful greenery around and other simple beauties of life, which were otherwise ignored by us, suddenly caught our attention.

Families came closer together once again. Spending time with the loved ones became a trend once again. Having long talks and discussions on the dining table, endless games of Ludo with the family members, story time with grandparents, oil massage by mom and special breakfasts on Sundays, all came back again.

Having virtual meetings with near and dear ones and celebrating festivals online, gave a break to the mobile phones and tablets. Lockdown also taught us to be united for a cause. Be it the ringing of bells and plates to motivate our Corona warriors or lighting of the lamps for a noble cause, everything was a hit. Online schools gave a good opportunity to the students to continue their schools and learn things in a new manner. Many old relations also revived in this tough time. People learnt to give hope to each other.

The deserted roads, river banks and sea beaches gave a new freedom to the animals to move about freely and merrily. Many factories got closed, vehicles restricted their movement and the pollution cleared out, making the air cleaner and more breathable. The trash on the roads vanished, the beaches became cleaner and the nature smiled back at us.

Who would have thought that such a beautiful time would ever come back again. Children might not be going out to play, people might not be visiting each other, malls, restaurants and movie halls might have been closed for some time, but people have certainly not stopped having fun and enjoying their life. We have rather become more zestful towards life. We all have accepted all this as the ‘New Normal’ and started living and managing our lives according to this.

Corona might have taken away a lot from us, but it has also given us a lot. It has given us time for our family and most importantly ourselves. This lockdown has taught all of us an important lesson of life. No matter how hard things get, one should never lose hope. We should hold on to our loved ones for their support and love. This time is certainly a boon.

Always remember the Sun will never stop shining and a small ray of hope will always brighten the darkroom. Let’s all pray to God to end this pandemic soon and save the world.

Stay Home! Stay Safe!