Quarantine --An Eyeopener For Me

Relax! Relax! My mind was reminding me to just unwind all day. Are you thinking why I am relaxing today? After working for six days a week, I always keep looking at the calendar to see when the off day, Sunday, will arrive. Yes, today is Sunday. It is the day when I do not have to rush for work. To beat the time, I switched on my television set. The first thing I hear of the breaking news of Covid-19. The news of Corona infected people was flashing in every news channel. I was surfing through other news channels, but all I could hear and see was the increasing number of patients of Covid-19 corona virus. Somewhere, my ears caught the news of lockdown which could take place soon in our country, India. I did not pay heed to the news at first. I could not step outside that day as our nation was following a one-day lockdown on Sunday. Somehow, I passed my time and the day.

On Monday, I heard the shocking news in my office of lockdown which would go on for 21 days or perhaps for some more months. The pandemic, Corona turned out to be life-threatening disease. In order to keep the count of Corona patients in check, our government requested people to go for self-quarantine which then followed by lockdown in the entire nation from 25th March 2020. On Wednesday morning, all I could see outside every shop, a huge crowd where countless people had shopping bags packed with groceries in their hands. The shopping bags contain vegetables, fruits, groceries and other essential items which could people use for more than a month. People were stocking up food as much as possible. It seemed to me that shops will remain closed for a long period. I was in utter surprise, as i could not figure out what was happening around.

A week passed since lockdown had been implemented all over India. Essential stores were opened in the day for a few hours. But in the night, the shutters of the shops were tightly shut down. There are a few things which I came across during the period of lockdown. Many people are of the opinion that lockdown is a curse. How do I perceive this lockdown period? Today, my alarm clock buzzed sharp at 6 am. I jumped off my bed hurriedly to get ready for office. My father woke up early in the morning today. He was standing at the balcony. He saw me from distant that I was ironing my clothes. He came forward, patted my shoulder and said, "No need to be in a hurry. Offices will be closed till lockdown ends." In the initial days of quarantine, I was locked at home; focussing on my hobbies and other activities which I long forgotten. Although I was working from home just like other employees, after a week of quarantine, I started missing going to the office. 

Every morning, I used to stand for a while on our balcony and used to see the quiet streets which were once crowded with people. There used to be hordes of people on the roads who were busy in reaching their respective destinations. Shopkeepers were busy selling their goods. Today, my eyes could catch a sight of silent streets and closed shops. Not a single person was roaming in the streets without reason. As each day passed by, staying at home all day seemed to be no less than a punishment. Although I was submitting my office task from the comfort of my home, still I was missing the office ambience. Everyday I stare at the watch, hoping the day would come when I would rush for leaving office. Time was, when I used to wait for Sundays and now, I wait for the day when things would be normal and I would join my work with enthusiasm. From getting up early in the morning for dressing up for going to the office to working in my office cubicle, I miss everything part of my office life.

Have you ever done household chores all by yourself? In these lockdown days, I have tried doing maximum household chores all by myself and have realized that we should not underestimate our women who devote their entire time in doing housework. From brooming, mopping floors to cooking, doing vegetable shopping and taking every little thing in your house, a woman indeed does a commendable job which should be applauded and appreciated by every family member. It is not an easy task to do all chores of your home and still flashing the smiling face at the end of the day. Only the women of our families can do this. After doing housework one day, I became exhausted and I came to know that managing things properly at home is tougher than doing your office work. Our patriarchal society gives value to a man's work which he does at his workplace. A homemaker never gets credit for the work she does at her house. While being confined at home during the quarantine period, I have confronted the things which I have always overlooked. Going to the office daily used to irk me. I never felt the pain my mother had gone through all her life doing housework until I experienced the same in the quarantine days when I took the responsibility of doing the chores all by myself. 

Home---at the time of quarantine has turned out to be an eye opener for me. Every day, I help my mother in doing the chores as much as possible and the reward I get in return is her relaxing face. Now, seeing her resting on the couch gives a broad smile on my face. My ears are curious to hear,

"Home Quarantine Finally Come To An End! "

Story By Aparna Mukherjee