Life During Lockdown

By Abeer Choubey

When the lockdown was announced in India, it spelt doomsday for me. My biggest worry was, how I would survive without my househelp. I was so dependent on her that due to her absence for the next few weeks left me wondering how I would navigate through this uncharted territory. So, come lockdown and my blessing - my maid - made an exit.

Keeping aside all the depressing thoughts that loomed over me, I decided I would make the most of the quarantine time. I kindled my positive spirit and realised that this period would serve as a great opportunity to finish my pending assignments. I thought I would get ample time to finish them off. To make the most of this period, I decided I would brush up a few skills too.
 

But I didn't know then that the only skill I would brush up during this quarantine would be mopping, cleaning, dusting and cooking skills! By the end of the first few days I was left with no energy, leave aside any state of mind to vent out my creative skills. All said and done, this quarantine was not going as I had thought it would. In the initial days I fell into a self-sympathy mode and felt really low.
 

But as I waded through the days, and the teething phase passed, I developed my own coping strategy. Practice makes a man perfect. As days progressed, I became efficient at all the chores and discovered effective ways to manage things. Light dawned upon me and I realised with relief and happiness that I can survive merrily!

My Study Table for Online Classes

When our online classes started, I enjoyed them. I find them interesting as they are on our screen. It makes these classes more exciting. Now my studies depend largely on my initiative! I was pretty excited about the first class because it was the first time that I was studying from a website given by my school. It was very interesting and amazing.

Baking a Cake

The chef de partie in me emerged every now and then. I discovered unexplored territories of various cuisines. On some days, I made chaat, samosa, kachori and even a chocolate cake!
 

I learnt coping strategies, life skills, values and household chores. I also watched Ramayan and Mahabharat with my family. We also watched 70s classic movies with grandparents and their joy knew no bounds.
 

Even though we were cooped in our homes, we bonded and connected like never before. Late night chats, online games with family and friends, online group video calls added a spark to my days.

The thing that helped me sail through this tough time has been my family.
 

Playing Chess with my Grandmother

After the initial teething phase, we have carved out beautiful memories of this period. It's no understatement to say that the quarantine has fundamentally changed the way we live our lives, but I realise it has been a blessing in disguise.