The Tale Of My Lockdown Story

I am Sapna, a student of English honors, studying miles away from my hometown and living away from my parents. I used to become so engrossed in the daily routines of my life that I completely forgot to take time for myself.

In such a situation, I always had a secret wish that my university would close and I would be asked to return to my hometown and enjoy time with my family. I never knew that wish would be fulfilled or that my imagination could become reality. This is what happened to me during the beginning of 2020.

With the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, efforts were made to limit the spread of the virus. It became essential to protect people as much as possible.

The entire country was placed under lockdown, and we had to rush back to our hometowns. The country came to a standstill. To prevent people from coming into contact with one another, movement was severely restricted.

Malls, cinemas, temples, community halls, schools, colleges, hotels, restaurants, and many other places were closed.

The lockdown was so strict that the government specified the times during which people could work or leave their homes.

What a situation it was! We woke early in the morning and bought essential items in the shortest possible time. There was so much hustle and bustle during that one hour, and then, for the rest of the day, complete silence prevailed outside and throughout the markets.

Police patrolled the area and watched for people violating the lockdown rules. They reprimanded anyone who broke the restrictions.

In this situation, I became very lethargic. I woke late in the morning and then managed to sleep for a substantial part of the day.

However, I wanted to make sure that I was at least somewhat productive by the end of each day. I made it a daily habit to learn something new in one way or another.

These new activities included cooking Italian food and practicing aerobics.

There were also many restrictions within the household. We sanitized our hands every time we touched anything that came from outside.

Fear of the virus became so deeply ingrained that whenever an ambulance passed, people became frightened and silently prayed for those inside.

We also attempted to cook everything at home. Food from outside was not considered acceptable.

With respect to my studies, I developed the habit of participating in research projects and learning about subjects we had not considered before.

I bought many fiction and nonfiction books and read them for hours. Of course, Netflix was also at the top of my daily list. I binge-watched many shows and new movies.

I spent more time with my family than I had during previous years. I tried to create unique ideas for celebrating birthdays and sometimes cooked for my family.

However, there were also times when I missed my college, my friends, and the outings we enjoyed when we were free and there were no restrictions.

This made me realize the importance of every small detail in my life.

Sometimes the atmosphere was very depressing because of the increasing infection rate. Still, some part of my heart always hoped that the best was yet to come and that this too would pass.

During that time, I came to believe that doctors, police officers, and others working to protect us were the real heroes and deserved our respect.