Page 179 - SARAHANA

1 78 179

I look through the balcony at the end of the corridor. It is

afternoon, and this place is so deserted right now that
anyone could just lay a mattress on the paved street and
sleep for hours without anybody to disturb. As I stare
through the empty streets, longing for some sound to break
this deathly silence, I remember how the ver y next day
after his friend left, my roommate too left for his
hometown. He, too, asked me the same question. I replied,
saying that I would be much safer here.

It was a bit of a paradox as a few days ago, this place was a
hotbed of Covid-19 cases. In fact, one of my classmates had

tested positive for it. I was ver y close to being infected with
it. But, it seems I was a bit lucky indeed. Almost ever ybody
here had someone close affected due to this disease. My
friends warned me that they could be infected with the
disease. I ignored them because I thought they were joking.
Only a couple of days later, I realized that I should’ve paid
heed to the warning.

Why did I tr y to socialize despite the obvious risk of

potentially losing my life and risking others’ lives in the
same process? Was it fear that I would never see them
again? Maybe. But loneliness was kicking in. I had been here
for a while, but the new normal has created both physical
and psychosocial distance, thanks to this pandemic. Was the
need for company so bad for me? I realize that it was. But,
when half of this hostel left, I stayed back. Why? B ecause I
felt more secure here? In the current circumstances, yes.

Just a day or two after my roommate left, I learned that
Bangalore Urban was one of the worst-hit districts in India.

I am an agnost, but the ver y news made my knees tremble as
if I wanted to kneel before the Creator of this Universe, to
pray to Her to end this nightmare. I don’t think that anyone
would be happy either when they know that their friends
and family are in danger.

C O NTENT S