The Ants Miffed Me

 In this juncture of health crisis across the planet, the ants miffed me and taught universal and mind-blowing lessons about which I was never believing after listening from others or viewing from Google God. After learning from ants practically, wish to communicate/share with many people in this grim season of pandemic. This opuscule is not just a fantasy I experienced, it's beyond that. It's exceedingly imperative for every human being living on earth. Perhaps you might have noticed so many ants and distinct types of ant. Having a seen innumerable ant is not at all astonishing, or surprising, then what is miraculous is that observing their behaviour, attitude, and livelihood of ants and implementing this behaviour, attitude of ants in life is astonishing. It instructs us many things in life. It directs us - how to achieve our target? how to hit our aim? It advises us how consistently have to work to catch our dream or to materialize our dream in this fashionable world. Emphatically, I say that if someone adopts the principle of ants, success will salute him, hug him, and chase behind him in all walks of his/her life.

 If you have not seen different ants, then please visit once the campus of Centre for Development Studies (CDS, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) after the pandemic is over. CDS is not only home to research scholars or home to many social science textbooks or home to many distinguished students, but it also home to millions of insects, different fruit-bearing tree, and other animals (from micro ants to macro ants, mosquito to butterfly, Koel to cuckoo birds, cat to mongoose, guava to cocoanut and many more). Honestly, I don't have extensive knowledge of the distinct name of plants or trees growing on the CDS campus. Interestingly, ants are here and there, from micro size ants to macro size ants, different colors of ants are ever noticeable. Ants are in the courtyard, bathroom, on the ground, kitchen, dining table, canteen, living room, outside, inside, etc. as if ants are ubiquitous. Meanwhile, it's remarkable the melody of Koel comes from an unseen place of a tree along with flaying of butterfly around you in CDS campus is absolutely captivating.

  Although unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic affected the activities of millions, including from paan shop to parliament. The preventive measures i.e. social distancing policies, lockdown, and shutdown, stop at home policy, etc. taken by national and sub-national authorities to limit virus, partly altering certain food items that people consume in a day-to-day life. For instance, people probably shifted from more perishable items to non-perishable items in their day-to-day food items. This is precisely to curtail the number of times they go to market. To avoid going to markets many times, I felt let me purchase a ghee daba of 200gm, so I can add an item of food to my lunch and dinner. One tablespoon of ghee for lunch and one for dinner are sufficient. During the lockdown, they have reduced food quality that serve in the canteen. No or rare non-veg items we had in lunch and dinner. To add some vitamin through food plate, I bought a 200gm ghee daba. Thought, every day I will mingle a spoon of ghee in boiled rice and eat.

  Ghee daba, I kept aside on the floor. I observed some tiny black ants (do not bite people) and some tiny red ants (bite people) are often on my corridor. Sometimes ants miffed me and occasionally I take the mick. Sometimes, I take a chill pill at ants. However, everything but the kitchen sink. I don't keep any Laxman Rekha for ants in my room. I regularly have food from the canteen or don't bring any sweets to my room. I keep my room always neat and clean. Thus, no need of keeping Laxman Rekha chalk in my room.

   After just two-three days, it was lunchtime; I brought food from the canteen to the room. Thought I will mingle ghee with boiled rice and eat. When I went to bring ghee, I saw so many ants on ghee daba and ants are maintaining their ostentatious life. It brought out anger in me. I said to myself, "take a chill pill". Just I cleaned all ants from ghee daba and sat for lunch. After completion of lunch, I started thinking about how to save ghee from ants. As I don't go to the market regularly during this hard time, not possible to buy only Laxman Rekha (which prevents ants) for ants. What shall I do? I kept thinking about a better solution. Finally, after a few minutes, one question appeared in mind that how ants come to this ghee daba. How ants get information about ghee daba? What is the scientific reason behind this? "I don't know." Immediately, I assumed, perhaps ants are coming by following some kind of smell from ghee daba. Then I thought if I change the smell of ghee daba from outer part of daba, then possibly ants may not get ghee daba. If they come close to ghee daba, then they can't know that there is ghee in this daba. So, what I did that I brought my body spray. I just sprayed that body spray on and around ghee daba. After a few hours, I found a swarm of ants on floor around ghee daba but not on daba or within daba. Ants could not get ghee. Probably ants were confused. I thought I finally cheated ants successfully! At the evening, I saw ghee daba where a swarm of ants roaming hither and thither. Not a single ant was on daba. I became extremely happy! Whoever I met; I said this story: I cheated ants today successfully! I had a chinwag with friends about such incidence!

On the second day, I too noticed the same situation around ghee daba that a swarm of tiny red ants was searching for ghee. At evening of the second day, I too discovered the same. On the third day, at 10 in the morning, I too noticed the same. I became quite pleasant; I made a call to my mother and said that for the last three days; I have been cheating with a mob of ants triumphantly. My mother laughed a lot!

  However, at 2 pm on the third day, I saw ants on ghee daba and also within ghee daba. Within a fraction of time, all my happiness and triumphalism over ants went far away. I became quite disappointed. However, I thought, the smell of body spray has gone, that's why ants would have penetrated to ghee daba. I sprayed again body spray and kept on floor. After one hour I saw again there were many ants on daba. I cleaned those ants from ghee daba, and repeatedly I sprayed body spray and kept on floor. On the third day, at 8 pm, again I saw ants on daba. It miffed me a lot. Finally, what I did I kept water on a plate and placed that ghee daba on that water plate. Finally acknowledged my defeat against ants.

   I had been constantly observing those soap operas of ants. Although, ants miffed me but accomplished a wonderful lesson for my life. This kind of attitude of ants taught me: do not quit until you win. You may fail today, tomorrow, day after tomorrow and so on, one day you must accomplish. I maintained that no one can question regarding the diligence and hardworking of ants. Continuously, a swarm of ants was struggling throughout the day and night for the last three days to get ghee from daba. Without making no excuse, they proceeded with the business of getting tasks done successfully. It suggested that "never give up", "work continuously", "you will win", "you can win," "you must win." Thank you ants from the core of my heart for your hardworking. This is an important lesson in life. All youth should learn from ants. We all should fight against covid 19 virus collectively and continuously like ants, by wearing mask, washing hands frequently, maintaining social distance, etc. We should continue our efforts like ants until covid 19 virus goes away from our world. We will never give up our attempt. The ants miffed me but taught me an excellent lesson.