One morning when I reached office, entered my work area and logged-in my laptop to check my email. I received an email from my boss stating that I will have to fly to Patna & Kolkata for conducting Group Discussion and Interview. I was happy that I was given the opportunity. In the evening, I found that a virus named COVID 19 has spread and hit India as well and slowly becoming dreadful as was telecasted in the News Channel. The flight tickets arrived but I was a little perplexed whether to proceed further or not. My family members were also a bit disturbed. Anyways, I made my mind to go.
Next morning, I was ready. My wife booked a Cab for me and I boarded the cab and went to airport. The norms at the airport were stringent. All the passengers were putting masks and following social distancing measures. I entered the airport and had my security check-up done and got the boarding pass. Finally I boarded the aircraft and flew to Kolkata. From Kolkata, I again travelled to Patna. I completed my entire work as assigned to me of GD and PI and came back to my destination Pune. I was happy and more confident as I could accept the challenge and complete the task even after putting my life at stake.
In the evening, when I switched on the television, the Prime Minister was addressing the country and declared a complete lockdown for 21 days. It was a bolt from the blue. I never thought in my wildest of the dreams that a virus can jeopardize our life. For a moment, everything came to a standstill. There was a confusion, rather the complete scenario was confused. How will we survive? How will we protect ourselves from Corona? I immediately ran to the grocery shop to buy rice and saw a nig line of people who also wanted to stack basic essential needs for their own family. I barged in and asked the shopkeeper to give me 10 Kgs. of rice. The shopkeeper was oblivious. Anyhow I paid Rs. 510/- for the 10 Kgs. sack of rice and was about to leave the shop. Suddenly, it started raining and I rode my Activa and came home. Meanwhile it started raining heavily. There was lot of negativity all around. Anyways, we somehow had our dinner and went to sleep. Negativity flows immediately rather than positive vibes. This is how people react. Media adds fire to the flame and people only see the negative things even when they know that every dark cloud has a silver lining.
Next morning I woke up and saw the bright sun, peeping at me through my bedroom window. I talked to myself and said, let this COVID 19 virus lockdown does not lockdown my life. We started working and going ahead. My place at home from where I used to draft emails, my study table became my workstation. Soon I started adjusting to the new situation and circumstances. I started learning new things which was initially a challenge but was the need of the hour. At the work front, I started receiving emails on series of webinars from top notch luminaries on various topics. I downloaded Zoom Video, WebEx video App and learnt using the same. I said to myself, let me utilize this lockdown and utilize it productively because this time is not going to come back again. I started to do the following things which really helped me out.
- Cooking New Dishes: I started to work on my culinary skills. I started learning new cuisines from YouTube videos and practically doing the same in my kitchen which was my practical lab now. I used to garnish the cuisines made by me, took pictures of it and uploaded it on facebook. The likes posted by various viewers on the facebook motivated me to learn more and do more.
- Doing Riyaz and Singing: I am passionate about music. I love to sing and hence I have done my Bachelors in Music in vocal classical music. I opened my old notes which I learnt while I was undergoing my Sangeet Visharad and started my Riyaz. I started with Raga Yaman and started practicing the other ragas as well. I sang a song “Ek Tuku Chowa Lage” which is a Ravindra Sangeet and started relearning music. It is very important to learn, unlearn and re-learn.
- Started Painting: I have an artistic bent of mind. I am very creative by nature. I love drawing and painting with vibrant colours. I started making a Ganesha painting which was also on hold for a long time due to time constraints. I also started painting a tribal rural woman which I started when I started pursuing my doctorate. Thus on a positive note, Corona triggered my passion.
- Learning Keyboard/Synthesizer: My wife gifted me a synthesizer long back. I used to play it but only using my right hand as I had learnt music and used to play on my harmonium. In harmonium, we use the left hand to blow and the right hand to play the keys. Hence I was used to play harmonium and not to synthesizer. If you want to play synthesizer, you need to be ambidextrous. During lockdown, I started playing on the synthesizer and tried learning the same. Whenever I got some time I tried to practice and play the synthesizer. I can surely avouch that practice definitely brings confidence. Thus I was honing my keyboard skills.
- Gardening: I love gardening. But due to space constraint I enjoy the same with a few potted plants. I water them and add organic fertilizers to them. Whenever I get some spare time I till my potted plants. During lockdown, when I got some time, I applied color to all my pots and the pots started looking vibrant with plants in it. Thus I engaged myself in doing something creative and constructive. I had white cement, which I applied on the walls of my balcony which had cement patches. This made the balcony more vibrant and positive.
- Started Writing: I have a flair for writing and hence found lockdown an apt time to write something of my own. I started writing articles and authoring a book. This not only develops my communication skills but also helps in penning down my thoughts. We need to understand that we are unique. People cannot copy your thoughts, because they are your own. Originality is appreciated. But only few people have this skill to develop something of their own.
- Starting Planning: Planning without execution is futile. I started to plan about my life and my career. I did a lot of introspection and retrospection to understand my own self. I tried to understand how far have I come and how far do I need to go. What skills I have and what skills do I need to learn. Learning is a perennial process and there is no age for learning. Only one should have the willingness to learn.
Thus I tried to utilize the lockdown to the fullest possible extent as this time is not going to come back. When I will look back and read this article which I am writing now, for not only myself but also for all my readers, it would a treasure for all of them as well. In a nutshell, I would say every dry cloud has a silver lining. The only thing is that you should have the ability to perceive it. I wish all the readers – Happy Reading.