New Year In The Time Of Corona

14th April 2020 

Day 21 of lockdown 

Dear diary 

The morning started with a good cup of tea and a horrendous attempt to make rawa dosa for breakfast to mark the beginning of the Bengali New year day.

The dosa batter was so pathetic that it refused to leave the frying pan and got stuck to it like eternal lovers.

A quick sandwich and fresh mango shake covered for the blunder.

After breakfast, it was the ardent wait for the clock to strike 10.

Today being the last day of the lockdown, all eyes were glued to the screen for our PM' s address to the nation.

And as speculated the lockdown got extended and the new day set was 3rd of May.

That means another two jittery and anxious weeks to go. 

By now I lost count of days and dates and the calendar has become a futile piece of item in the house.

Only relief is the timetable of daughters five days online classes that helps to keep a track of some important dates of the month.

Like today was one. 

It was Bengali New Years' day.

And me being a bengali myself, this day was important for me. 

But this year was not like previous ones.

We Bengalis have already missed our Chaitra sale, that is the big fat sale where we do all shopping for our new year and which has become our trademark by now. 

And to add to it, this year there was no cultural program, (which is an inseparable part of all Bengalis), no shop to shop hoping and eating sweets and doing more shopping.

No special lunch, no dine out.

But there was no moment of regret. 

Rather this lockdown has helped regain self conscience that all these are not so important in life.

We can do without so many things we thought were imperative in our life. 

We can spend a year without shopping and celebrate a festival wearing old clothes sitting at home with family over simple home cooked meals. 

Value of life is more important than anything else. 

Making home made phuchkas ( golgappas ) and eating with the full family are equally enjoyable. 

Cultural programmes don't always need a big stage to perform. It can be done at home with family and sharing through social network. 

It will be equally applauded.

We can do without going to parlour for months and strands of grey hair and a thick and messy eyebrow don't make us look witch like. 

We still remain the person we are.

We can do without watching movies at multiplex and do without lavish dinner at restaurants.

That extra little savings can add on to a little comfort, little relief to some who don't dare think about a new year celebration.

For whom it's the question of survival.

Let us try with our ability and resources to make this coming year a blissful one for each and every children of our motherland.