Corona Diaries

 It was 12th Apr of the year 2020 , Easter Day. I wore my best shirt a white full sleeved cotton and pulled up my new denims pairing them with grey leather boots. All decked up , the lovely meal comprising of 'bhuna mutton' was packed neatly to be carried alongwith to my children's place for lunch. I left home all excited for the festivity but the excitement could not last for long , as soon as I reached the main gate of my society I found it locked with large police gathering on either side of it - Suncity was under lockdown and no one was supposed to step out nor anyone could come in. All my dreams of a family lunch were quashed and I returned back like a fool - Covid had made its first nasty presence!

Since then it is almost a year and life has been a rollercoaster with lockdowns, shutdowns , curfews , social distancing and masked movement being an integral part of our lives . Though we are still 'social animals' albeit without any social connect. Politicians who would make quick appearances on the media suggesting reasonable to stupidly insane measures likes banging utensils or lighting diyas to hush away 'Çorona' soon got busy with their party agendas than human life in peril (more psychologically then).

The Country saw mass exodus of labourers and daily wage earners from NCR and around who had lost their jobs shockingly walking back thousands of miles to their homes in the absence of public transport , out of insecurity and lack of support from those who they once voted to power. Several lives were lost , more to this excruciating melee than to Covid at that time . Regular people came out in support feeding the migrating masses and providing them with makeshift shelters - the country seemed united , atleast for once! 

Soon the regional government realised that such mass exodus would be detrimental to their sole existence and soon all borders were sealed. What saw now was no less than a real life adventure where the desperate immigrants bought basic mode of transport in the form of bicycles at sky rocket prices to ride through roads less travelled covering several hundred kms and reach back their homes without being getting çaught at the borders - what a shame it was ! Railways tracks became navigation marks for those on foot with a sole desire to be home to atleast die in the presence of their near and dear ones.

Then came the time when the focus suddenly shifted to the 'origin of the virus' stories doing the rounds. China came into the limelight once again , 'Wuhan' to be precise. Chines online business portals like Aliexpress were shunned by many like me , the govt. severed ties with the Chinese govt over trade and commerce but even at the end of an year all we have is assumptions about the origin of Covid from Wuhan meat markets to a malafide genocide planned inside the lab - I still go bonkers trying to understand, so I decided to leave it at that point and do my bit.

If all this was not enough we saw the 'return of the hoarders and black marketeers', with in prices heading northwards and essentials not being available easily . Online delivery portals promised quick , touch free and safe delivery and we saw a major chunk of 'consumers going online. But all this came at a cost and the cost of huge amount of waste generation in the form of packing material and plastic but who was was even bothered .. it was about survival and later convenience . This era saw washing of all grocery including eggs , breads and more in soap or disinfectants and then storing them ... phew!

While scores of people all across the Maslow's pyramid lost their sources of income or jobs , some found newer avenues like manufacturing masks and bottling sanitisers . The 'New HR' was now working on 'downsizing' and redefining the organogram , salary cuts and work from home formats. Learning and Development was put in the cold storage as survival was primal and everything else was considered a luxury.Trainers and Consultants like me were left high and dry in this mayhem with almost 'NO' assignments in hand. My annual planner looked neat or should I say blank - a horrid transition which still brings shiver down the spine. While looking at the government amidst 'moratoriums' which held no water to escalating prices of essentials and stripping reserves it was time to be 'ATM ooops ATAM NIRBHAR'. Now I know what this slogan meant but rather than wasting time on things which would yield nil I decided to focus on my work.

My work is my life since I follow my passion as a profession and have been thoroughly content with it though the financial graphs went haywire. With the same zeal and gusto as I would do my contact sessions, I fuelled my online training . I have no qualms about sharing that over the last one year my tutelage has only increased across the country with students connecting from Mumbai , Surat , New Delhi and even United States. Another new forte was motorcycle training which I started to impart to many aspirants . My first major assignment being with none else than KTM India - Ready to race !

As wise men say - there is always something good waiting to happen in the worst of situations ! And I agree with these wise saying in totality because for me it was a life changer. Had it not been for the major goof up by the electricity dept. my life would not have been what it is now. Well, long story short I found a lovely friend and guide who is the highest point of the Covid era. Life is now full of energy , positivity and another mystic day to look forward to. What else can a man desire than be happy to the hilt in this life! I am grateful to God and more so to the DHBVN without who this would not have been possible. During these trying Covid times I found a great company.

Well another journey has just begun and to me it is the journey which is more scintillating than the destination because I am a man on the move with dreams in my eyes wide open!