My Corona Diary

Year 2020 has itched a special mark on our mind. And its impact on our life is continuing. The epoch-making events like World War I, World War II and 1930 Great Depression had touched the life each and every living human being on this planet before. We read about those eras. This time we are living such an era. I survived calamities like 2015 Chennai flood and couple of cyclones in my lifetime and used to consider my experiences worth documenting. I never thought life has bigger surprises for me in its store! 

This decade started with lots of excitement, introspection and hope for me. I started a long-cherished chapter in my career that changed my daily routine. I completed a long-awaited trip to one of my favorite destinations. And I was contemplating an investment decision. Then came March 22nd. I remember the kind of anxiety I used to feel while travelling to office every day in spite of the assurance from our company management. The news of lockdown in other nations was raising questions in my mind. I was in office on March 21st waiting for approval to pick up an asset which did not get processed that day. Next day lockdown started in India. My initial concern was to enable work from home arrangement and I was elated when my company allowed me to connect to office and client network from personal device. We all were hoping that the situation will come under control within a month and normal life will resume. I did not even collect all my belongings from my office desk. Nobody knew what was lying ahead for all of us.

Wearing mask, using sanitizer and avoiding public places except trips to grocery stores for few days did not feel much difficult initially. Panic got triggered on 14th April. It was Bengali New Year's Day and I was busy preparing a special lunch. My manager called me to inform that I am not part of the project account any more. The news did not sink in for couple of hours. Then I started calling my colleagues and got the clear picture. Our client was closing down major parts of the business which was hit badly due to the pandemic. Now I had only one choice to avoid lay off. I needed to find project which was still willing to onboard resource with my skill set and experience. Next, I should be able to crack multi-level interviews and get allocated within few weeks. I was only 2 months old in the company and was yet to establish a network of contacts or understand the process of talent management and project allocation. A week passed with lots of apprehensions and then I started getting internal interview calls. Finally, I got selected for one of the premium accounts. 

One quarter passed with lockdown in place. Summer reached its peak. We started assimilating the fact that corona is here to stay, at least for few more months. Tracking the active case numbers already became daily ritual by then. My days became more congested with work. Office hours became longer. Absence of maid made my week days extremely hectic. I started craving for tea breaks I used to enjoy in office. Weekly visits to malls, restaurants and beaches came to halt totally. Terrace became the only safe place in the world to steal couple of fresh breaths during the day. Mobile phone became the only option to connect with friends. Unwinding on a vacation felt like a distant dream now. Panic and exhaustion became my daily visitors. Mental health went for a toss! 

Months passed. House and office works kept me occupied. News of demise of few known people made me assess my situation in new light. I started journaling the skills I picked up personally and professionally during lockdown. I reached out to people whom I did not speak to for years. I started offering my contribution physically and financially to help people worst hit by this pandemic. I discovered that I can stay happy during Durga puja and Diwali even after not celebrating the festivals in their full fervor.

There are days when staying positive seems almost impossible. All work and no play schedule sometimes gets the best of my mind. Still, I am privileged to have time for myself with access to many resources to stay self-motivated. Many people out there don't have that sort of options and still believe this chapter too shall pass. Waking up every morning and finding dear ones healthy is a big blessing that many people don't enjoy in today's turbulent time. Staying mentally and physically strong requires little conscious effort on our part and we actually need only handful of simple things to stay happy and peaceful.

It's been almost a year since the pandemic started dictating our life choices. Vaccination process has just rolled out in India and each of us is steadily looking for our turn. Some of my plans yet to see the light of the day. I am yet to meet my work mates physically with whom I walked during challenging time. This is true for many who did not survive the pandemic. Tough days make us pause and reflect on our life. These days are adding to our kitty of stories that we will share with our next generation one day.