Covid life, an empty life - how a tiny microbe mattered much

I flip through my diary aimlessly. Those pages I frequented in moments of happiness and hardships pre-lockdown have remained without the touch of ink for four long months. Writing during the Covid pandemic has become a lot trying for me since my equation with pen and paper changed a long time ago. Four months into the lockdown, my body refuses to sit at the study;my mind refuses to put thoughts down on paper.Fingers manipulating the phone screen, I sit idly, scrolling through my YouTube subscriptions. Life has thus attained a picture of severe boredom and serious constancy.

Newspapers have become scrolls of paper displaying humongous numerals of the Covid tally and yes, weekly a scam or two plus sensational news. Magazines carry reports of actors describing their lockdown lives, their family photos and posters of newly released short films. Print media has converted into a spectrum of repetitive content-what's more, many of us have lost interest in reading news columns.

None of us know what's next. The future looks bleak, too.We wake up daily to astounding numbers of deaths and every month, there is a new lockdown announced by the authorities. On the other hand, savouring the aids of technology, we are in more of a relaxing mode than in an active, working mode. Laziness has become a way of life; Sundays and Mondays have become largely indistinguishable. We have fallen into the state of dreary constancy and complacency-many will find it difficult to come out of the routine the microbe has forced us into and adjust with work, post-lockdown.

Nevertheless, the safety measures that matter this year- washing hands, wearing masks, being indoors and staying safe. Let hope be the word at this phase of adversity and bleak future. Let's hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I conclude with the wise words of Albert Einstein, "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity."