The solitude is taking its toll on the mind and body. The queue at the candle shop was so long that I searched for the end of the line and circumambulated a whole block to reach my home again. Noticed not lighting a candle, I could face the wrath of my local BJP municipal councillor, as well as celestial bodies. A lot of researchers have sprung into action, coming out with why 5th April, why at 9 pm and why for 9 minutes etc., increasing my fears.
The constellations were searched, the planetary movements were analyzed, the wind speed was calculated with precision (with the help of oft referred NASA!), the rise of smoke from 6 x130 crores candles, its reach was pinpointed like the DRDO scientists planning a space mission. Voila! The smoke will exterminate the COVID virus and carry the entire debris of the viruses away from earth, land on a meteorite, shooting its way into a black hole. You may be wondering how a six sneaked in, that is a minimum in a packet my shopkeeper would sell today and at a cost nine times the normal! The lady behind me tries to overrun me, offering to purchase the candle. Defeated, I grab the last candle packet and return as a valiant victor from a decisive battle!
Sanity is surely waning like the size of the newspapers coming these days. Three different publications together do not match the earlier number of pages in one single paper. By the morning tea, I have finished from the mast, classifieds, obituaries and the sundry, including the fine print with the publisher’s details.
Do not believe all that you read in the social networks. I, a simpleton, did after reading the mistaken face scratching by our exposed hands. Who was the originator, who posted the pictures of red chillies and suggested a mild rub on the palms as prevention for accidental hand-reach on the face? Did the post intentionally hide the clause that one should not have drank much water before the chilly rub? You can imagine the consequences as I suffer silently. The touch of the bloody palms still burns in all wrong places despite a dozen washes.
My favourite channels continue to be news. I browse every channel from NDTV, times now India today until I end with Republic, jumping after that to the foreign channels CNN Int’l, BBC before hurrying back to the Indian ones, wondering if something could’ve happened in the few minutes that I missed out. Nothing besides the increase in the numbers of those infected and shortage of masks are happening.
If there is no disquiet in the home front, it is a mere survival instinct. The proof of real and lasting peace can only be ascertained after the 14th of April. Right now, I am overtly courteous to my wife, offering even to broom and mop our place.
I’m scared of the outcome, that is, in what form and shape will I come out on the 14th April? Have I become delusional? Perhaps. Most of us might be!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
