2020: A Memory for Lifetime

The year 2020- Pandemic, Covid 19/Null Year, whatever you call it- passed away in lockdown with minimal socio-economic activities. Initially, Coronavirus was just something related to China that we heard about in the news. As there was no case of infection in our country, we lived in our own personal Utopia and celebrated the new year, Valentine's Day, and even Holi (although the last one with caution as by March, the virus had become a distinct threat  for all of us in India too). Thus, Holi was the last festival of 2020 which we celebrated properly. After it, school exams were cancelled, all educational institutions were closed and life changed overnight for us in the form of Phase 1 of LOCKDOWN which lasted for 21 days starting from 25th March. Luckily, our 4th Semester exams got postponed too

However Phase 1 passed by with lots of experiments in the kitchen and my inner Chef came to the fore. Culinary trends were followed and even normal menus at home consisted of Dalgona coffee, Chilli potato, Chilli paneer, Dosa, Tandoori Momos, Noodles, Pani Puri, Pizzas, Burgers, Chhole bhature and so many other new recipes from YouTube.

By the time of the 2nd phase of Lockdown (19 days this time) came, my inner chef and studious student had both quit their jobs. Exams were cancelled and we were promoted to the next semester! It seemed totally unbelievable and somewhat ani-climactic too. 

After passing a week getting used to the fact that major lifestyle changes were here to stay, I decided to sort out my stuff from the store and get rid of useless things. Along with my father, I sorted out approximately 90 kgs of stuff and sold it to the recycling centre. Finally there was a big smile on Ma's face for this excellent work. A week after this hard work, I found the ideal schedule which sustained me for the next few months i.e. some online classes and chatting with friends.

Lockdown phase 3 (for 14 more days) saw me in a somewhat creative mood and I dabbled in a bit of craft and creative works but the flipside was that I lost focus on studies. This phase was marked by financial issues, frustration, arguments, stress, irritation and utter ennui. Besides the increasing number of deaths due to Covid 19 had brought negativity to its zenith. 

Finally came Phase 4 of the Lockdown. I don't know about others, but it was the best one for me. By this time, I had begun to transform myself. All of us have such  hectic day- to- day schedules during normal times that  we never get the freedom or space to think about ourselves in silence. Since we're living in an age where we have to seriously know our goals and work towards achieving them, so my mind also churned with questions like 'What the hell I am doing?', 'What should I actually be doing?', 'How am I spending my precious time?’, etc. I questioned and analysed my routine and finally found my the true aim. I planned for it and even currently I am consistently working on my plan and motivating myself to achieve the best version of myself.

2020 is also special in the Indian context for its historical events like anti- CAA, NRC, Court acquittal of all 32 accused in 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, Delhi and Bihar state elections, National Education Policy 2020, Delhi roits, New Farm Laws and the subsequent protest, huge loss of life due to Covid, Ram Mandir foundation, face-off in China on the eastern frontier, contradiction of GDP by 23.9%, awareness about mental health after the suicide of SSR...etc. Hence we have a lot of current affairs to memorize. I just pray that all souls who left this world in the last year may rest in peace and wish to reiterate that we all have to move forward in a positive direction of the future with their memories in our hearts and smiles on our faces. Finally the Lockdown has ended and we are  cautiously tiptoeing into an era where we hope for complete protection through the Indian vaccine.

Once again we have all become busy in our work and resumed normal life but the bittersweet memories of the past year still haunt us. I’m sure that some years later, we are going to recount the things that we witnessed in 2020 to our upcoming generations and will laugh with them at its discussion.

'Everything happens, happens for the best

Believe in Almighty power, and forget the rest'