To better times

It is Ganesh Chaturthi today.

I have been listening to a lot of Ganesh Aartis today since morning. The sound of drums, shankhnaad, bells, everything, I get goosebumps every single time.

Past two years have been tough for all of us. The pandemic has been tough.

When the first lockdown was announced sometime in April 2020, I did not step out of my house on third floor for over three months (?) I think. When the first ‘unlock’ was announced, it struck me that I had not climbed down from my third floor apartment in Delhi for so long. I was afraid I had forgotten how to climb stairs, after not having done it for so long.

When I stepped down and put my foot on the ground for the first time, I cried a little. I was hoping that the worst was behind us and that things will get better.

We were holed up in our home for this long. But then we were also grateful we had a home to stay in. We had food and we had family, safe and healthy, even if they were away.

Things started getting slowly normalised.

I came down to meet my parents who were all alone here in Ahmedabad. It was tough for them too, worrying about us from so far. The last straw was my father’s emotional call one late evening, ‘just come home. Don’t think you’ll bring home infection. And if we do get the infection, better here than in Delhi,’ he said.

So I came. My mummy suddenly had a reason to cook nicer foods because well, better for three than just for two. Also, maybe its the age and that they’ve just had enough of each other, the two can’t stop getting triggered by each other. They just can’t. So, I was the pacifist.

In between I went to Patna and to Delhi as well, but after Holi when I returned, thinking I’ll go back to Delhi soon, I caught COVID. And then I infected my parents.

Thankfully all of us recovered (parents had first dose of vaccine, which might have helped them with milder symptoms). I still have post-covid insomnia and other side effects like occasional brainfog but well, at least I’m alive.

In April things worsened so quickly that it went from bad to worse to disaster in days.

Clearly, the worst wasn’t behind us. It had yet to come. And it did.

But ‘this too shall pass’ and things again improved.

Today many have recovered and many more have been either fully or partially vaccinated. Infections are fewer.

We, obviously, can’t get complacent. Last time we thought the worse was behind us, pandemic was like, hold my mutated virus.

So clearly, we shouldn’t let our guards down.

But today when I hear Ganesh Aartis, it touches the part of my heart I didn’t know I had. Pulls the right strings. Overwhelms me. Makes me feel grateful and hopeful at the same time.

So here’s to better times. May the gods protect us. May the goddesses protect us. May dharma protect us.

धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः