Sunday Funday

Anjali’s head was in a commotion. It had been so for over a year now. She had conveniently brushed it aside as travel sickness since she had to commute for over two hours one-way to reach office/home. The deafening honks, mad traffic that added to the travelers’ haste and the crowded bus contributed to Anjali’s state of mind. Or so, she assumed. She pondered about it for a couple of minutes, and very soon, invariably was drawn to her phone.  

Anjali’s phone had become her best friend of sorts. Whether it was a boring day and Anjali needed to be entertained or a very happy day, when Anjali needed to feel a balance, or perhaps, a sad day and Anjali wanted comfort and moral support. Anjali relied on the mobile device like it was her saving grace.

Anjali madly missed her Sundays from the past – her picnics with family, cheers and laughs over sweet nothings with her bunch of friends or even getting lost between the pages of her favorite novel from the Nancy Drew Series. Had she lost out on time or the means to have fun Sundays? Had her loving family and friends turned so sour so as to turn their backs if she yearned for a nice conversation? Had she grown so old in order that she bid goodbye to such happy Sundays? Anjali could not comprehend the exact cause of her state of mind. On the outside, everything seemed so normal. For a change, she put her phone inside her handbag;  she began reviewing her last weekend. Anjali badly needed her answers to the troubling questions.

Anjali announced excitedly that it was a Friday. There was hardly anything extraordinary about it. Yet, Anjali heaved a sigh of relief that she did not have to wake up early to rush to work on the following day and the day after. She welcomed each Friday with an infectious newfound excitement.

Dinner table talks extended for longer than usual on the eve of the holidays. None of it mattered much to Anjali, who, after a few minutes would anxiously attend to her phone as if there was an emergency every fifteen minutes. There were a host of documentaries and blogs that were recommended and shortlisted.  However, Anjali had no time for any of it. Anjali had forgotten to care about herself, let alone bother about others around her. She was mostly distracted amidst a get –together, a walk, or even when cleaning her home. She had even skipped taking an important medicine on one such occasion! Many of her well-wishers raised serious concerns and alerted her; Anjali, though, couldn’t care any less.

As a wide-eyed teenager, she had her hands on a rare luxury called the “mobile phone” which eventually had transformed from becoming a “normal need” to a “dangerous obsession”.   The Mobile phone had stealthily crept into her life and today, it seemed like the phone was openly harassing poor little Anjali. Anjali had transitioned to costlier and better models, rather proudly. In return, she had lost focus, had absolutely no concentration and no complete involvement in anything she picked up. Anjali found a strange solace in staring into her phone and scrolling down the pages. When she lay on her bed or relaxed on her lounge with a phone in hand, the rest of the world ceased to exist. Hours flew by like seconds. Not only had the way and the extent to which Anjali used her phone deprived her of quality and productive Sundays but made every day of the week dreadful. Until her neck and hands ached, Anjali would use her phone till she was exhausted. No guilt whatsoever. Her head, thus, had to be in a commotion.

Anjali shuddered at the loud announcement on the bus. Her stop had arrived and Anjali quickly made her way out. Anjali was shocked that she could do without her phone for nearly 2 hours. Anjali realized many other harsh truths too.

As she walked to her office, Anjali assured herself that, if she ever wanted her Sundays to become like before, the change had to begin from her. It did not have to be anything grand and complex. Anjali decided to start small and go step by step, one thing at a moment. She promised herself that she would live each moment completely. She would discipline herself to not excessively use the phone and succumb to it like a victim. Anjali thoughtfully reminisced all the mindful ways in which she lived her Sundays and hence, the whole of the week. She longed to bring it all back.

Anjali smiled softly to herself. “I may be late. Better late than never.” The coming Sunday was all hers. She could begin right away.