Goldie Locks

Well, this is not about fairy tale Goldielocks and the Three Bears. I was thinking about my gold ornaments stashed away in bank locker and it seemed liked a good title for my rant.

I never liked gold, or diamonds, platinum or silver for that matter. Many elderly women and not-so-elderly women were shocked and aghast to hear this. According to them it is not a normal behaviour for a lady. If you're a woman you got to love gold (other metals). I never believed I'm a normal person. I'm unique, so each and every other human beings. I find display of ornaments ugly and tasteless. I never brought a single carat of gold for myself. Having said that I've quite a collection of gold given by my parents and that is that. During my wedding my parents' worth was directly proportional to the weightage of jewellery I exhibited according to the jerks I call relatives. 

I forbade hubby to buy me anything in yellow metal. He, himself does not believe in the concept of investing in physical gold. Sorry to bubble the burst. Buying gold is a bad investment until and unless you enjoy putting it on display. So, as a couple that part is sorted. Still extended family never gets tired of asking if my husband brought me any gold recently. During most of such conversation I zone out. And sometimes I tell he does not need to, because he has 50 kilos gold (that's me/cheeky I know).

I even wonder at few friends who jumped into this bandwagon. During our friendship we obviously never conversed about this. Otherwise I would be knowing about their craziness. Is it their original interest? Are they giving in for peer pressure? I would not know. Rather I would not want to know. Definition of happiness is different for each.  

What is this obsession we Indian have? Once upon a time it was considered Aapat Dhana (emergency money). If your finance is going in the dumps, either you sell gold or loan it out to get out of that crunch. And it was normal for people to buy gold when there was a bumper crop as our country is agriculture-based.

As for me I would trade gold for good books any day. My prerogative is simple and basic that may look abnormal to others. While their passion for some yellow metal seems irrelevant to me. I will end this rant by agreeing to disagree.

The Month That November 2020

As a tradition we never miss Deepavali to celebrate with family. However, when I heard some known elderly couple being diagnosed and admitted to hospital due to COVID at native it scared the wits out of me to cancel the plan even before it could materialize. Instead we did a day trips to Manchanabele Dam, Dodda Alada Mara, and Hesaraghatta Lake with all corona protocols. The same weekend we visited our favourite pub after 9 months. On both accounts people were not thronging mainly because of the festival. Most of the eateries and restaurants were taking all the mandatory precautions. Still I wonder when the life will be normal where we could roam around freely without masks or constantly worrying about the virus. 

Cousin M1 rented a house and set up each and every thing on her own without any help. I could not be more proud of that little girl who grew up to become this fiercely independent woman.   

The movies we have watched are The Dark Tower (English), The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind (English), Devaki (Kannada), Ye Ma Yau (Malayalam), Ludo (Hindi), Over the Hedge (English), Big Brother (Malayalam), Klauss (English), Holidays in the Wild (English), Operation Christmas Drop (English), Mega Mind (English). Among them Ludo, Klauss and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind tops the list. Others are okay to bad.

The web series were Body Guard (English/Netflix), Emily In Paris (English/Netflix) and Aashram 2 (Hindi/MX Player). 

The books read were Circe-Madeline Miller, Forty Rules of Love-Elif Shafak, Daddy's Girl-Danielle Steel, Anxious People-Fredrik Backman, Evidence of the Affair-Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Blue Umbrella-Ruskin Bond. Circe inspired me to read Greek mythology and hope to do the same next year maybe. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is another amazing read. Having liked his 'A Man Called Ove' this is my second book by the author. And I did the most predictible thing, picked his another Beartown. What is with Swedish writers, first it was Stieg Larsson and now Backman. Another new found author is Elif Shafak. Forty Rules of Love is about sufi saint Shams and sufi poet Rumi. Hubby started wondering who is this Shams of Tabriz I'm quoting often in our conversation. If I continued with Shafak Turkey might be our next destination for sure.

When hubby got the opportunity to work-from-home for 15 days we decided to visit the native along with cousin M1. It was good to see mother, Ammamma and others after a gap of months.

November has been good. Hope for the kind December.

Withering Bond

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About three months ago I was scrolling down WhatsApp, it hit me hard to know it was me who initiated the chats or conversation with friends all along. Am I the only person investing my time in these relationships? I was making an effort as I felt I owned it to them because of the past. None of them were reciprocated. Now I don't want to carry the load of trying to stay in touch every single time. Once decided it was a huge relief.

I'm the one who constantly opines every relationship needs a lot of nurture and care to sustain. It is a two-way street. Life has been super busy for everyone. If somebody is not trying to keep in touch it only means there is no space for you in their life. They are all good people. I have beautiful memories to cherish. But friendships can't be always about reminiscing good old days. They are afar not dead. Once I decided those people just vanished to thin air. I'm sure they will respond if I initiate the talk. Just that I don't have it me anymore.

As you grow old you realize all those friendships were relationships of convenience. You only get to choose from your school, college, neighborhood, colleagues. Most of the time you are not even in sink with them. Sometimes I wonder why I was friends with that particular person in the first place.

I knew that none of them share any common interest. Still I continued. Listening to their rants and raves without being judgmental. I've compartmentalized them into different boxes and catered to their needs. It was the Sagitarian in me being loyal.

And most of them are turned into crazy bigots now. Or wait! They were that from the beginning, just not mature enough to admit. Some say you cannot just unfriend a person just because he/she have a different opinion. If a person differentiates another human being based on cast, religion, creed, class, gender, race, sexuality, I don't want to be friends with such person. It is nonnegotiable. Better to cut off toxic people from life for sanity. They only bring hatred, jealousy, gloom and negativity to the table.

Being a part of blogsphere and artgram I'm introduced to several like-minded people with common interest in books, travel, films, music, social issue, and many more. We may not be great friends to hang out yet. At least I get suggestions on books, films, music, travel and more. It is good to know there are kind-hearted people out there who will not allow the fascism to win. I digress.

Having ranted I'm not bitter about anybody. I always wish and hope for their happiness. I just don't want to tread along the one-way street. 

The Month That Was October-2020

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Eight months of COVID passed and Life in Time of Corona continues. Both hubby and I had fallen sick in the beginning of the month for 2 to 3 days with fever and headache. Hubby claims it to be COVID with lack of smell and taste. I on the other hand had none of those symptoms. And sickness was not unbearable. We were able to continue normal routine without much glitch. I have been having these paranoid episodes of COVID every time I sneeze or have post nasal drip. Maybe we will get an antibody test in the coming days to check whether what we had was really Corona.

This month we had our father's Shraddha (death anniversary), a ritual to be performed. Mother, siblings, and I all did it separately due to the obvious. We were brought up in a very progressive household and these customs were not followed. My father would have been very disappointed to see this charade. Still we do it for mom's peace of mind. We know for sure she insists this only because of societal pressure. For her generation "What People Say?' is difficult to overcome. When it comes to dad it was different, he was total badass and never had the patience to give a F***.  

Hubby was away for four days to attend a wedding in Mangaluru. Usually we are two peas in a pod. Since there was restriction on attendees we thought I will give a miss this time so is MIL. The truth is I dislike attending these gatherings, be it weddings, receptions, engagements, religious ceremonies all and sundry. Social distancing is nothing new to the introverts. We have been doing this for decades. I've kept myself busy with work, reading, writing, gardening. Still missed him senselessly. It was like I was having withdrawal symptoms. And we were both anxious on the day he had to travel. I digress.

Dasara was a quiet affair. Since we both don't believe in religious observance festivities for us is good food, music, drink, books, films, and conversation. As I write this I realize we do that every day and for us every day is a celebration. Maybe that is why we don't go gaga over festivals. Only one good thing about them is the holidays. In another era we used to travel in such times. Sigh!!!

The books I have read are four in numbers. I See You-Clare Mackintosh, The Night Circus-Erin Morgenstern, After The End-Clare Makintosh, Pieces of Her-Karin Slaughter. In fact Clare Mackintosh impressed me so much with 'I See You' that I had to pick her another book. She is going to be my another go to writer. A book which liked by all but failed to leave an impact was 'The Night Circus'. The writing was very prose and poetic with beautiful imagination. Yet it lacked gripping story and characters. I had thought of DNFing it many times but persisted. It definitely failed me, or rather I had very high expectation. Another equally disappointing was Karin Slaughter's Pieces of Her. Having immensely liked her 'The Good Daughter, Pretty Girls and Cop Town it was an easy pick. Though not boring it had nothing new to offer. I'm even surprised to learn this is going to be a web series airing in Netflix. I'm going to watch it anyway just to see how it is made. Sometimes visual adaptations are better than the fictions.

The moves are quite good in number too. They are Black Friday (Hindi), Ka Pae Ranasingam (Tamil), V (Telugu), Maniyarayile Ashokan (Malayalam), Serious Men (Hindi), Jallikattu (Malayalam), All President's Men (English), Nishabdham (Telugu), June (Malayalam), Ginny Weds Sunny (Hindi), Nanna Prakara (Kannada), 22 Female Kottayam (Malayalam), Chaman Bahar (Hindi), Android Kunjappan Version 5.25, and Virus (Malayalam).  Our obsession with Malayalam cinema continues. You will understand if you see the number of films of that language.

 The web series are Scam 1992 and Mirzapur 2. I've done a detailed review on mirroringart.blogspot.com of Scam 1992. What a gem of show it was. Pratik Gandhi has a new stalker on insta. Mirzapur 2 was much awaited Indian show and Vikranth Massey's absence was very much palpable. The show was breezy and crisp, and I could see the end coming. The subsequent seasons of any series are tough to make as audience always have the originals to compare with. Comparatively it is meek and slow. Still we binge watched over an weekend. That explains what an oxymoron I'm.

I long to go and see my mother and Ammamma. I hope I will be able to do that in the coming months. Cousin M1 is the only visitor we had. There is a lot of gossip doing the rounds in the family about her not agreeing for marriage yet. It was the same a decade earlier about me. And it shall continue with generations to come. Because that is what they enjoy and that is what their life about. I'm not proud of them. If I could I would have disown them.

October had been kind. Hoping to say the same about November.

To The Man Who Loved and Lived-Part 11

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It has been four years since I've lost my father. Without my knowledge I go to depression around September 22. If anybody can hate a date this will be mine. I talked to my mother and brothers knowing they are hurting equally and going through the same emotions. According to Hindu calendar his Punyatithi (anniversary) falls this month. Due to the force majeure we all had to do it separately this year. I'm not someone who believes in these rituals, but did nonetheless to keep my mother at peace. So, did the siblings. I heard from little birds that someone commenting we don't love our father because we don't celebrate the anniversary in grand scale. I just laughed at the gossip. 

One had to know me, siblings, mother and father to understand what kind of relationship we share. The people who really know us get the family dynamics. Others, not much.

Losing my father left a permanent whole in my heart. None of the happy news will be the same that I cannot share with him. And difficult time will be bit stretching without him in my corner. He was my go-to man. He was the go-getter. Though I've started writing this blog when he was alive, not confident enough to share this with him. Or probably I didn't want my parents to get into my head. Now, even if I want to I could not. He would be proud of his little girl running three blogs meticulously. And maybe secretly admiring himself for passing on that writing gene.

I constantly talk to my father when I'm alone. He would not reply back obviously. For others this charade may sound psychotic, but it gives me a sense of assurance. I still can hear his bashful voice calling my pet names.

I wonder what he would have done in this pandemic. He would not have restricted himself from visiting town for buying the necessities. Isolating himself would not have been an issue since he would be busy farming. But he would have worried himself sick about his children (son-in-law and daughters-in-law) and grandchildren.

My heart aches for him to be part of our ordinary life, the happy, sad, and everyday milestones. I'm still angry at the universe for taking him away so soon. Not a single day passes without thinking about him or talking about him.

Month That Was September-2020

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It is going to be seventh month staying-home-staying-safe this September. For a introvert like me it is a blessing in disguise. I don't miss going to work. In fact, I'll be sad if they ask us to join the work force. Working from home gives me ample time to read, write, cook, tend to plants, and binge on favourite TV Shows and movies. Major hit I took is cancelling all our travels. And our weekend visits to theater, musicals, pubs, restaurants, comedy shows, and others. Though dramas, comedy shows, musicals are offered online somehow it does not feel right. Some art forms should be viewed face-to-face along with the crowd.

Complete stop to outside eating also means more cooking at home. I just know the basics of cooking. I do not enjoy the process. However, this pandemic forced me to don my culinary hat to dish out different cuisine. During the course some items are hit and others miss. What I've realized is cooking is not a big deal. One need little logic and practice while making any dish. I'm still in the learning curve to understand the ingredients and its use. Hubby is of the opinion I do not relish cooking because I'm not a foodie. True, I rarely go out of my comfort cuisine. Probably the pandemic will help to change that.

With self-imposed writing deadline it was a surprise that I could finish four books this month. They are The Dutch House-Ann Patchett, The Girl Who Played with Fire-Steig Larsson, The Book Thief-Markus Zusak, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest-Stieg Larsson. The Book Thief was a DNF from last year. Despite people raving about this I didn't like the book as much. In fact, I've liked the film adaptation much better. The Millennium series on the other hand are the best crime thriller I've read so far. Salander is a character that is both unorthodox in style and attitude. She is a victim and survivor. She is going to be my favourite for a very long time.  

The television shows we watched are Bandish Bandit, Ashram, and Tales from the Loop. The amazing Bandish Bandit restored our intestrest in Indian classical music once again. Both BB and Tales from the Loop deserves a detailed review.

The movies we have watched are C U Soon (Malayalam), Mundina Nildana (Kannada), Desert Flower (English), Hard Kill (English), Dia (Kannada), Kappela (Malayalam), Little Women (English), and Cargo (Hindi).

Cousin M1 is the only visitor to our humble abode. That girl runs away from the word 'CO'. Since hubby was busy judging moot court, mediation, and client counseling we went for plant shopping. 

I had to let go chilly and tomato plants due to no pollination. They flower and wither without bearing fruits. I've read mustard plants attract the bees, however, could not spot one in the balcony. Probably I need to research more about cross and artificial pollination. For now I've to be happy with microgreens and herbs. I've dried and bottled few Mexican mint and lemongrass to be used in morning tea. They give the perfect aroma which is refreshing and immunity booster.

September was peaceful. October be kind. 

What's in a Name

 "That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”-William Shakespeare

A colleague recently asked me to suggest names for her kid. If it was three years earlier I would have obliged too. Now neither I've the inclination nor the energy. I don't know what is that aspect people see in me. I've been constantly asked to take up the task to suggest names. It has been more than two decades since I was doling out my opinion. Many of them have picked from the pool and named their children. Whenever I hear about them in conversation it brings a smile on my face.

My father never understood the gravity of the situation. He ridiculed us when we were zeroing down on names for Nephew V. His opinion is what the title of this post makes "What's in a name". With the same attitude he named all his children, some are happy, some are not. EB wanted a simpler name for his child as he goes through the painful process of laborious name my parents bestowed upon him. The name we selected was simple, trendy, and cool. And in this eight years there are 3 people from far relatiion copying the same name. Sheer laziness of people I tell you. The unbelievable part is that those three people are first cousins. Despite all that our little nephew will be the original 'V'.

I'm not very fond of Nephew A's name. Not because it was not suggested by me. It is simple and trendy, but lacks the oomph.

In my college days I've written three novels, which were read by only close friends. And those who did named their children after my protagonists. None of them acknowledges it. My belief is that they want their son/daughter to grow up as strong and independent as my characters. If I can inspire and influence my reader to that extent, I must be a good writer. I take it as a best compliment.

Current trend is to name the child by combining parents' name. Though Raveena Tandon's parents started it 46 years ago, it became a rage after Shahid Kapoor named his daughter. In an attempt to coin this I have seen parents ridiculously naming their children. When I'm told the logic behind the name it was hard not to roll my eyes. No, I'm not insensitive to rubbish their selection on their face. I've a blog here for that, right?

It is my strong belief that expecting parents have already selected a name, one for each gender. Without revealing that they want to fish for more options. Nothing wrong in that. It is just that I don't have the patience to go fishing.

I beg to differ Shakespeare here. Giving a beautiful and meaningful name to a child is important as that becomes his/her personality. Just make sure that one day the grown-up child won't come to you and demands to know why you have given that particular name to him/her.

On the hindsight I'm happy with my given name and thank my mother for the choice. My father would have disappointed me here. And he was the man who uniquely names his Yakshagana characters. Priority of this man! 

Month That Was August-2020

Hubby has joined new work force this month. Though he had resigned in July had to serve one-month notice period. He was not seriously looking for the job change. He was just updating job profile and this new opportunity fell on his lap with better prospect. I was happy because it is closer to home and will cut down the commuting time. Many well-wishers were against this change because of the dwindling job market. But all our decisions are well-thought and so far they have panned out well for us.

For the first time I've not send Rakhees for Rakshabandhana. The shop where I buy cards and Rakhee was always crowded so was the post-office. After few failed trips I've decided to the cancel the plan. While talking to brothers they also opined not to bother this time.

Both nephews celebrated birthday this month, 8 and 2 respectively. When I called nephew V, he was very excited about the cake and other junks associated with it. Staying at home he has put on a little weight I'm told. At the same time he has forgotten Kannada and Hindi letters. In fact he is very happy about not going to school. I was reluctant to attend Nephew A's close-knit birthday celebration. Though I'm isolated Hubby goes to office regularly and chances of his exposure is more. However, YB will not listen to my reasoning. I was scared to go near the kid or hold him. The little fellow now talks incessantly, is able to recognize colours, birds, animals, letters, fruits and vegetables. When I mentioned he is going to be very smart, YB refuted saying all kids are smarter these days. He and his modesty! My dad would be so happy and he will be missed dearly.

The next week YB's apartment was sealed down due to Corona positivity in some neighbors. The same week nephew A started having cold and fever. Paranoid me was quick to think it is COVID. We were all frightened and worried. Fortunately, it turned out to be some other viral fever and he is back to normal. But how long this paranoia will continue?

People think I'm scared more of this virus than necessary. From the beginning it is never about me. Even if I get positive I'll be able to recover in no time. Can I say the same about my loved ones, especially the tiny tots and elders? Well-being of them worries me the most. One of our classmates' father succumbed to COVID this month. Despite all the ridicule, the seriousness of the pandemic looms over us. 

 I have read five books this month. They are A Hundred Little Flames-Preeti Shenoy; The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo-Steig Larsson; Hunting Party-Lucy Foley; Verity-Colleen Hoover; and The Perfect Roommate-Minka Kent, most of them are mystery/thriller genre. I need to cut down on this.

The television shows we watched are Sweet Magnolia-Season 1, Killing Ever-Season 3, and The Blacklist-Season 1. We decided not to binge on Blacklist because the continuity was not necessary for this show.

On movies front we have watched Forensic (Malayalam), Just Mercy (English), Raat Akeli Hai (Hindi), Ghoomketu (Hindi), Yaara (Hindi), Khuda Hafiz (Hindi), Athiran (Malayalam), Doordarshan (Hindi), Ishq (Malayalam), Om Shanthi Oshana (Malayalam). Our obsession with Malayalam cinema continues and we think they are way ahead of other industry in movie making.

For Ganesha Festival we had cousin M1 with us. As usual our experiments in kitchen continued. The jade that was thriving died on us. It was withering for quite sometime. We tried repotting, keeping in sun for sometime, and balanced watering. Nothing seemed to work. It was saddening to see plants die. So much for my bragging on green thumb.

August was good. September be kind 

Friends-Episode 3

Just got off from an abrupt call with N1. Due to online classes and assignments, it is difficult for her to have the cell phone for herself. We could not have a lengthy and proper conversation like we used to have.

Since this is a Friendship Day month I thought of continuing the Friendship series which I had started a year or so ago.

I joined a new school for my fifth standard at Ammamma's place. For the first one week I was in section A only to be transferred to section B. I don't exactly remember how we first met. I should probably ask N1 next time when we talk.

In no time we were best friends. We started going around together. She was my giggling, gossiping, and playing mate at school. We even formed a formidable group against the bullies. Who says children's life is easy? We were into groupism from the tender age of 10. Otherwise it was hard to survive the school politics. I digress.

She was a frequent visitor to my home and I to hers. There were many instances where we have gone to beach without any adult supervision oblivious to the elders. We had our own dance troupe to choreograph to. Since we were inseparable it was easy to find us in the school campus.

For high school she moved to another city. That did not stop our relationship. We continued communicating through letters, and meet whenever she visited her parents. I attended her wedding, and that was the last contact. Both of us got busy in our own life. I've tried making contacts through social medial without any luck. Most women change their name after marriage, so did she. There is no way I could remember her husband's name. Since I knew all her siblings' name I tried that as well. Three years ago I was able to track her brother on FB. I messaged with my number and info. I just cannot assume him to remember his sister's friend of another era. Within two days I got a call from her. The feeling was ecstatic. Both of us were talking, laughing, and pausing simultaneously. Looks like she was trying to search me as well all these years. I was touched when she said 'I was searching with your birthday'. It never occurred to me to try that method. 

She was surprised to know I had a choice marriage. She reminded me of my equal rights activism, which I had forgotten completely. She just assumed my feminism amounting to man hating. The conversation was walking down the memory lane. Many moments which had slipped my mind were brought back by her prodding. And few others that I had to jog her memory to. 

Being a mother to three beautiful children she fails to understand my childfree status, but quick to add that I was different from the rest since the beginning. Now we talk frequently whenever we find time. And try to be in constant touch through WhatsApp. Nothing much has changed between us. We both carry that innocence of childhood in our heart.

Happy Friendship day

The Month That Was July-2020

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July was not any different from June. The Covid-19 situation still continues. Number of cases in the city, state as well as country has increased. The death toll has reached 30,000. For our vast population the mortality seems minuscule. Only loved ones know the pain when there is death in the family. Government, bureaucrats, and people show lack of apathy. I can understand the plight of people who are out there to earn livelihood. What about others who loiter around without any reasons? It is hard to stay put in one place all the time and we have been doing it from the past five months. This is where civic sense and responsibility comes. We may not get infected. Even if we may survive because of youth and stamina. What if we become asymptomatic carriers to pass on the germ to others? Hubby and I make sure to turn down all the invitations from family and friends alike to hang out as most of them have small children or aged parents. Cousin M1 visited and that girl is more paranoid than I ever was. And for the unknown she has been in isolation for the last five months.

Our life continued staying at home, social distancing, wearing masks while going out for essentials, sanitizing, and glaring at people when they come too close to our comfort. My favourite quote for anyone who cares to listen is "Just because you have forgotten pandemic does not mean that pandemic has forgotten you".

The reading journey continued with five books this month. They are Queenie-Candice Carty Williams; Overdue Life of Amy Byler-Kelly Harms; Where the Crawdads Sing-Delia Owens; The Guest List-Lucy Foley; Sex and Vanity-Kevin Kwan. I was hoping to see the screen adaptation of 'Where the Crawdads sing" while reading, and to my delight Reese Witherspoon will be producing the film and it is in pre-production.

We had watched total 17 movies and they are; The Monuments Men (English) Vettah (Malayalam), Anveshanam (Malayalam), Beverly Hills Cops 1 (English), Beverly Hills Cop 2 (English), Beverly Hills Cop 3 (English), Memories (Malayalam), Mamangam (Malayalam), Spencer Confidential (English), Murder Mystery (English), 6 Underground (English), French Biriyani (Kannada), Law (Kannada), Gentleman (Kannada), Blood Shot (English), Shakuntala Devi (Hindi), HIT (Telugu).

We had watched good numbers of TV shows too. They are "Out of Love, Hostages, Bose:Dead or Alive, She, Test Case, TVS Pitcher.

I couldn't spend much time gardening this month. Still the plants are not complaining. I'm rethinking about planting tomatoes and chilies. I knew they are going to take four months to harvest. When all the micro-greens gives me a week to 10 days'supply, waiting for tomatoes and chilies seems longer. And they take lot of space too. We were thinking about creating more vertical space to accommodation few more plants. The search for that one particular stand is on. Our stint in the kitchen continued as well. 

Despite all these I miss traveling terribly. Any future travel seems bleak this year. Our friends constantly ask us how we are coping with the situation as most of them knew our passion for travel. We just say we are bidding our time. We (us, family and friends) consider ourselves fortunate if we could sail hurt through this pandemic. I might sound like an obsessive paranoid, which I'm about the Covid-19. 

July has been kind. How was yours?  

Green Thumbs-Up

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While growing up we always had huge garden and farm land. Blessed to be born into a family of gardeners and farmers, my only interest in them was watering. Sprinkling or gushing water with big hose pipe is total merriment. That could be one of the reasons I still enjoy washing cars. Climbing trees and plucking mangoes, cashew nut fruits, Chikoo, Blackberries, Rose Apples were as easy as it could get. Monitoring the children very closely was not vogue back then. Any kind of mishap will be reported to the parents if it is absolutely necessary (read serious injury). I digress.

I never had any interest in gardening. In fact, I have never given a thought on how vegetables, fruits and flowers grow. I hate to be out in the sun. I used to make a huge fuss when asked to pluck the curry leaves. Despite that I was a frequent visitor during the rice cultivation season, from plowing to tilling to sowing to harvesting. Probably that is why I love rice!!!

My father was a man with green thumb. He nurtured and cared for plants and garden like his own kids. His vegetable patch was feast for the eyes and delicious on the taste buds. I used to gift him few plants and that was end of my responsibility.

As I've mentioned in my earlier posts we are trying to make a tiny balcony into an organic green patch and it was coming out quite okay. Then we got stuck in native during the unplanned lock-down. When we returned all our plants, both indoor and outdoor were dead, but for the Aloe Vera. We could not forgive ourselves for killing them. If it was not for the 'Aloe" we would not even think about going ahead with gardening. The little Aloe had turned into dark from its original green. Without much hope we watered it and within three days the colour returned and the foliage was bright. Not only that we could propagate and re-pot the little pup off the mother. I have named them Xena and Hope respectively. Since then we have been planting micro-greens and harvesting them every other week.

We were able to solve the bug infestation with sprinkling neem oil. We've learnt the art of propagating the plants to a certain extent. We made the colossal blunder of making organic compost at home with limited resource and the stench will haunt us for a very long time. We tried to shift the plants from full sunlight to partial. Sometimes we over-watered the plants and sometimes under-watered them. Weekends were spent in potting, propagating, re-potting, harvesting, and sowing. The herbs were used in tea, salads, chutney, stir fry, and sambar. The Malabar spinach has been my favourite leafy vegetable since time immemorial. Now, I have the privilege of growing, harvesting, and enjoying them in culinary. The supply is not sufficient to fulfill our weekly demand. We still buy vegetables from outside. But the happiness to see the sprout is endless and the little effort is totally worth.

Gardening is no rocket science. There is no right or wrong. We learn it by experience. Plants are the most resilient. They tolerate sun, rain, heat, cold, bugs. Still they thrive to sustain with whatever little they have. We may not be able to give them lot of attention but they bloom and flourish with minimum care. Co-gardening with hubby also lets us to spend more quality time together.

Green thumb is a total myth. Anybody can garden with little patience and effort. One day we are hoping to get the mythical and proverbial 'Green Thumb' tag. Until then happy gardening.

The Month That Was June-2020

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Monsoon started in the state and the climate in Bangalore is to die for long drives. However, consciously we made the decision not to venture out even if its in our private vehicle. Hubby started going to office from this month and my paranoia knew no bounds. Almost spending two-and-a-half months together day in and day out, this separation was painful. This must be the first time in 14 years' of our relationship that we get to spend so much quality time together. My withdrawal symptoms were evident. Have I forgot to gush about how Hubby being my own personal brand of drug?

I compensated the void by reading five books this month; Huntress-Kate Quinn, The Alice Network-Kate Quinn, The Lost Man-Jane Harper, In Five Years-Rebecca Serle, and Daisy Jones and the Six-Taylor Jenkins Reid. After liking Huntress, I picked Quinn's 'The Alice Network', both historical fictions. I put an end to my obsession over single writer and picked other new authors.    

The movie count was 11 for this month; Vrithra (Kannada), Sarileru Neevevvaru (Telugu), Maya Bazaar (Kannada), Brahma (Telugu), Gulabo Sitabo (Hindi), Shylock (Malayalam), Jumanji The Next Level (English), Choked (Hindi), Bulbul (Hindi), Unda (Malayalam), Call of the Wild (English).

We had continued our binge watching journey of Indian serials streamed on OTT platforms. They are Panchayat, Criminal Justice, Kota Factory, Taj Mahal 1989, and Aarya. I wish and hope to do a detailed review on at least few books, movies, and TV shows in the coming days.

The "stayhomestaysafe" has pushed us to don our reluctant chef hats. Hubby and I are trying our hands on cooking especially on weekends. We have started a new Insta page to show off our culinary skills and our new stints with gardening. There is always something new to learn while caring for plants. The Mexican mint leaves were wilting away even after watering adequately. I tried to keep it in full sunlight as well as partial but to no avail. Videos on gardening tells me it might be bug infested, though I could not locate any. It also suggests to sprinkle Neem oil on the plants and voila, it worked like a charm. Now the plant looks healthier and bright.

We also celebrated MIL's 60th birthday without much fanfare. The usual cake, balloons, music, food, and beverages. Ideally this is her retirement year. However, the school requested her to work for few more years and she is more than happy to oblige. She does not want to sit idle and while away time. And in the present scenario it is unlikely that she need to go to school full-time. We told it is entirely her decision whether to continue work or not.

One Friday evening while watering the plants I have noticed some barricade in front of the next-door neighbour's house. Unable to figure out what it was I called Hubby to make inquiry while returning home. It turned out the barricade was not actual barricade, but that house has been sealed down due to COVID positive. I was shocked to hear the news. Though we have never been in touch with those people the message was loud and clear. The pandemic is very much real and closer than we think. Cousin M1 was supposed to come home for the weekend as she had to attend her close friend's lockdown wedding. She chickened out after hearing the corona positivity around the neighbourhood. Once the initial shock wears off I was quite thrilled to have COVID positive neighbour. I'm quite eerie that way.

We were safe and healthy. That is all we could hope for.

To The Man Who Loved and Lived-Part 10

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It makes me angry if I see WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram on Father's day.  People are all sharing pictures of their father or father of their children. I've nothing against anybody. It reminds me of my loss, which I'am unable to make peace with. The pain is constant. Only memories are to hold on to. Those memories are the treasure now.
My father had a weird sense of humor. He was not hesitant to bring upon death in conversation. Probably that is why we always make fun about our impending deaths and it was never shushed up. Whenever I called him to wish on Father's day he never says Thank you. He says Father's day is the day when one's father dies every freaking time. As I roll my eyes I could hear him guffawing at the other end. I could see his eyes crinkling and his body shaking with laughter. And we continue our chat like any other day. While growing up Father's day was not trending and it is a recent phenomenon. Still he never once said we are aping foreign culture by celebrating Father's day. Now you know how I become the global child.

Whenever I go home for holidays everyone in dad's office would know of my arrival. No, I'm not that nosy or loud. I always have this habit of painting both my parents' nails with latest splash. He would flaunt those colours proudly with elan announcing his daughter's visit. How many fathers will indulge their children's quirky nature in this way? I don't know any.

When his hair is grown a little I used to put a tiny pigtail on him. Yet, I didn't want his colleagues to see this. On appearance he looks serious, strict, fierce, and little scary. Only loved ones knew his soft, mushy, and childish side.

Many people don't know I started watching cricket for Rahul Dravid. I had a huge crush him. I never stuck any posters of him on wall or anything. And it would not even get noticed when you have two cricket fanatic brothers coexisting. Coincidentally I was vacationing at home when Rahul Dravid got married. And my father started pulling my legs by saying "Ah he is married now".

Same goes to Shahrukh Khan. He was my favourite since Baazigar. No, I didn't wait for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to happen. However, I never had any crush on him. And my father never missed a chance to make fun of him whenever SRK appeared on television. That would lead to a squabble and me sulking for the rest of the dinner. He used the same trick on my brothers who adored Sachin Tedulkar. It took us sometime to understand his tricks or probably we grew out of that adoring celebrity stage.

And he was our partner-in crime in wrestle mania. This theater form was introduced by my brothers and we're all hooked simultaneously much to the annoyance of mother. Even after we flew out of nest my father continued with this pastime. It was a delight to see him enjoying this mock combat and drama. He will be so engrossed in it shaking his head, laughing, cheering. And we discussed about it as if that is most important topic in the whole universe until the novelty of this drama faded out. Mother used scold us all saying we all have violent streak in our gene, otherwise how can anybody stand such an aggressive and rough show.  

As he is not coming back memory is all I've and memory is all I shall cherish.

The Month That Was May-2020

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When the lock-down 2.0 was lifted the private vehicles were allowed to move intrastate as well as interstate with passes. We had applied for passes in Taluk office. It is here we witnessed the disaster caused by the unplanned 4-hour notice lock-down. The entire area was crammed up without any social distancing and police were trying really hard to control the crowd. People from other states looked horrid and helpless without knowing the local language and no clear instructions on what to follow. Have you ever wondered why News channels do not give such information, which could help the stranded people? Does anybody know what to do when tested COVID positive? No, Arogyasetu app does not solve anything. We helped few people to get their documents in order. Fortunately, KPSclearpass website was up by noon and we obtained one-time one-way pass online. Still we wanted to see whether we will get the physical pass that we applied in the morning. The place was still jam-packed without any respite. As luck would have it we procured the physical pass as well. 

During the journey we were stopped once for the pass and twice for temperature check. The police on-duty looked haggard, overworked and tepid. The pandemic is taking a toll on everybody in individual capacity. Though we weren't instructed we compulsorily followed the home-quarantine measures.

The home was not a disaster as was expected. Sadly all our garden plants died but for aloe vera. They paid the price for our mistakes and it is deeply hurting. If it was not for our beloved 'Aloe' we wouldn't dare to venture out gardening again. For me our little Aloe is the Corona survivor, the symbol of hope. The labour of repotting, seeding, sowing, propagating, watering continued. The joy of seeing the tiny seedling is immense and rewarding. The once forgotten dream of becoming the farmer has kicked in again. If my father was alive he would be proud I guess!

We had lot of catching up to do with movies and we did; Thappad, Angreji medium, Street Dancer, Varathan, Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, Extraction, Chaapak, Trance, Body, Frozen 2, Darbar, Ayyappanum Koshiyum, Haram, Bad Boys For Life, Ford Vs Ferrari, House Owner.

Reading took a backseat with hubby to goof around. 'A Woman is No Man by Etaf Ram was the only book I was able to read. I've the next months to compensate on that.

The first television series we consumed was fourth season of 'The Last Kingdom' followed by the superb Patal lok. I need to do a review on this show soon. To take a break from the intense crime thriller we settled on 'Four More Shots Please' allegedly Indian version of 'Sex and the City' much to Hubby's chagrin. Despite the reservedness both of us enjoyed the show. We concluded the month with Special Ops and Asur.

E. Brother is contemplating about quitting the job. The job market is not favourable in this pandemic. Anyway he is worn out from the current one and feels if he could not leave it now he probably will never be able to. Even though worried, I'm nothing but supportive in whatever decision he makes. 

We completed and celebrated our 14th year of being together in a quiet manner only to hope next year it would be a gala event. For the first time we had no choice on this matter. With no restaurants, pubs, theaters, and restrictions on traveling where on earth one can hope to go? For an introvert person like me social distancing is not a problem. However, I would like to have the options of going out anytime anywhere whenever I want. A small virus is causing havoc all over the world and bringing every one to their knees.

May has been kind.  Hoping for better June. 

I Still Fall For You Every Day

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This ain't a song or a poem. We all imagined falling in love with a person in a romantic way. When one does the Adrenalin rush is immense. Everyone would have experienced the excitement to hear their voice, the eagerness to meet them, talking endlessly to sweet nothing, seeing the world through rose-tinted glass. Being in love is a wonderful feeling. I'm not trying to be a love expert here.

I fell head over heels in love with this amazing soul 14 years ago. And I still fall for him every single day. When his name flashes on my phone I have this goofy smile from ear to ear. His talks are music. My heart starts racing every time I see him. No, I don't have tachycardia. I start missing him the moment he leaves. I feel Monday blues not to go to work, but for being separated from him after spending weekends together. I can't get enough of his snuggle dose. I can't keep my hands off him when he is around. I'm not addicted to any substance. Nonetheless, he is my own brand of drug.

Six years of courtship and eight years of tying the knots has not changed anything in our relationship status. I feel married only when visiting the extended family. And lot of people say I have not changed after marriage. I always swallow down the urge to say "I'm just married, not reborn". I digress.

It is easy to fall for a person who is dashing, super intelligent, kind, and confident. It is easier to fall for a person who believes in equality. How hard it is to fall for a liberal who roots for individual choice every single time?

I never found jealousy and possessiveness in a boyfriend endearing. If he was so, it would have raised a red flag in the beginning. A self-assured and secured man is foremost important in any relationship. Among millions of good qualities about him, why I emphasize only on few? Today many people aspire to become a couple like us. They were vocal enough to say we set their relationship goals right. I'm flattered and humbled every time somebody says this because that is a huge compliment. In a hurry to get into a relationship they fail to see the caliber of the person who made it possible, and wreck their relationship. I'm anguished for any broken alliances, be it friends or foes, especially if they were influenced by us.

Why being with self-assured and secured person is important? Because he does not stifle your personal space. He only encourages and cheers you for the smallest accomplishments. When somebody shares the household chores without a hitch you will realize why being a believer in equality is important in the long run. When you feel you're living the life you wanted to live you will understand why having a liberal watching your back is imminent. People say I'm lucky to find such a life-partner. I could not agree more. At the same time this person was not hand-picked by my parents and handed over to me on a 'arranged marriage' platter. Falling in love is easy and its novelties are astonishing. But holding to that person against all odds was my choice. Family, friends, society tried very hard to break the spirit in all possible ways with good intention. (With good intention) is added especially to keep everyone happy who stalk this space occasionally. 

Falling in love is beautiful. Falling in love with the right person is magical. Keep in search of that wonderful person who loves you the way you are. When you do, make the choice to hang on to them. Life doesn't come with a warranty card. Invest time and emotions in a relationship, not money. I'l stop the ranting before I turn into an annoying preacher.

Falling in love with you is easy. And staying in love with you is easier because I still fall for you every single day. Hope you find time to read this piece one day. Happy anniversary to us.

The Month That Was April-2020

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The whole month was spent in in-law's place due to lock-down and that is the first. What I've realized during this period is in small towns the time does not move at all.  I kept myself busy from morning to evening with office work, reading, and writing. I had uploaded vibrant flower photos to insta feed from the well tended garden. There were no household chores either to attend as the maid was coming twice a day. From 5 o'clock in the evening, I used to get the feeling as if the time stood still. Hubby would finish his work around 6:30. Mil is happy watching News and movies on television. Hubby and I have stopped seeing News a long time ago. We were horrified beyond our wits to see how the News channels are communalizing the significant pandemic. And as far as movies are concerned, I would have watched most of them and seeing it again on television with breaks was next to impossible. We would take much needed walk for an hour or so. As I've not packed any paperbacks, most of my readings were limited to phone. And continuous reading on phone put a lot of strain on my eyes.

Despite that I was able to read four books this month. Those were "The Death of Ms. Westaway-Ruth Ware, Where Forest Meets The Stars-Glendy Vanderah, Jugari Cross-Poornachandra Tejaswi, and Ask Again, Yes-Mary Beath Keane.

The movies were limited to just four, all of them were re-runs; Sri Krishnadevarya, Babruvahana, Guru Shishyaru, Prachanda Kulla. These were the movies which I enjoyed tremendously as a kid. They still are relevant to this date, only I was not in good state of mind to appreciate them.

We followed the lock down trend of Dalgona coffee. Tried to grow microgreens in the backyard, but lost them for heavy monsoon showers. I could have taken another attempt at it, however, the gloom was seeping in. When the whole country was burning candles to chase away the Corona, my heart wept for the ignorance of my countrymen. A silver lining of hope came the next morning when I talked to my mother. She flatly refused to do this charade and stood her ground. I couldn't be more proud of her and I'm glad I raised her well (pun intended). At the same time I am ashamed to acknowledge few of extended family members and friends succumbed to this national farce.

We celebrated our eight wedding anniversary in this lock-down quietly. Mil baked cake for this occasion and I'm obliged for this gesture. It is not quite the anniversary I was hoping for. If everything was normal we would be chasing sunset in the tropical paradise Mauritius sipping Cane Rum. This Force majeure was unexpected and spoiler. Nonetheless, there is no one else I would want to be isolated with other than Hubby.

These chaos and devastation too shall pass, until then we should hold our horses.

How was your April?

Harmony

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On normal days I don't watch news at all. I think it must be more than 3 or 4 years now. To be informed with current affairs I read news online for few minutes and be on twitter. Screeching anchors, breaking news readers, prime time debaters have made me to turn down the television forever.

Currently I'm at in-laws' place. Here I am reintroduced to news again and nothing changed much. I'm shocked beyond my wit about how they communalize an issue at the time of a pandemic. No surprise here. India is a country that runs most on religious sentiments. At least the current situation made me to believe so.

Let's go back to my growing up years. Nothing to brag about, but neither my parents nor my grandmother were bigots.

On Christmas eve we used to walk over to friends' house to check the Christmas crib and tree. The first ever piece of cake I had was at their home. Still I vaguely remember the Carols sung by them during the moral period. Yes, those days were simple. Visiting church was an extravagant affair back then. And mind you I was not even studying in Christian convent. Bible, Jesus, Mary, Joseph stories were narrated by them in great detail. We used to giggle and whisper whether bride and groom would kiss on their wedding day. Diana, Dorita Winnie, Pinto, Fernadez, D'Souza, Chaco were very common in the class and neighbors.

Same goes for Afrin, Naseeba, Musrat, Rajiya, Nishreen, Nawaaz, Asif, Sadiq, Nehreen, and many others. At the time of Hindi Antakshari competition everybody wanted them on their team because their knowledge of songs from 50s to retro to 90s was impeccable. Since I'm a vegetarian I was always kept away from kebabs and biriyani. Only dish I was given was Sheer Khurma on Eid. I was part of their beach picnic most weekends as I was not allowed to go near water body without adult supervision because of a freak accident many moons ago.

In the same way all of them were part of our festivals be it Ganesha Chaturti or Deepavali. We all participated in large number of cultural activities as one. We were not taught to differentiate one another based on the religion, at home, at school, or in society. Partaking in town fairs with friends was the fanciful event each year.

I'm the person who has changed many schools, had different sets of friends belonging to different communities, stayed in different towns and neighborhoods, yet my experience remained same. And suddenly from the past few years all I see is hateful messages towards particular community in all forums. Even in social gatherings people spew venom as if it is the most natural thing to do. Hubby cuts down such malicious arguments then and there with logic, for that I'm proud of him. 

I've completely stopped interacting with fanatic friends and acquaintances. I've disowned bigot cousins and family members. I've tried my best to educate them on religious harmony in vain. It must be easy for them to hate somebody based on religion, caste, class, creed, or gender, but that is not me. The alarming issue is they all have children and I dread to think whom they are going to raise with so much hatred in their heart. If this hostility is passed on to next generation there is no hope for this country and we are all doomed.

History has never been kind to people who often tend to forget it.

World Book Day-2020

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There is something magical about reading books. Most people think it is about knowing stories. I don't deny that. Along with the story the reader will be transported to another world, the world where he will get involved with the characters. Here, the imagination is his own. Though he is a mute spectator, the emotions he feel for the people in the book are raw and real. It is my genuine believe that people who read books are generally more mature and liberal. That is mainly because their exposure is aplenty. They would have lived different lives in different time periods. They are familiar with goodness and badness. They can differentiate from right to wrong. They can take stand in a conflict. They can be compassionate and kind. I know there are several exceptions to this generalization of mine. At least I can say reading books made me a better person and it continues to do so.

This World Book Day I want to name few of my favourite books that tops my memory right now. It is an extremely difficult task to begin with. The mere mention of a book name brings back memories associated with it. I may not remember the plot well enough, but mere mention of a book name brings back memories associated with it. The below-mentioned list will not be the same next year. So, here is the list without any particular order.

1. Jugari Cross-Poornachandra Tejaswi
2. Rage of Angels-Sidney Sheldon
3. Parva-S. L. Bhyrappa
4. Kane and Abel-Jeffrey Archer
5. Harry Potter Series-J. K. Rowling
6. To Kill A Mockingbird-Harper Lee
7. The Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini
8. Wonder-R. J. Palacio
9. The Good Daughter-Karin Slaughter
10. Tulasidala-Yandamuri Veerendranath

Happy World Book Day from one bookish to another.

The Month That Was March-2020

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This is the month the Novel coronavirus loomed over us largely. We were hearing about Wuhan, Corona, Diamond princess fiasco since December. We were updated about the first positive case in Kerala and the subsequent recovery. We were quick enough to cancel all upcoming travel plans local as well as overseas. We were equipped for the anticipated curfew.

Despite all these we were not serious. If we were, we would not be attending the massive nine-hour over-nightly play "Malegalalli Madumagalu". I'm alive and healthy to write this overnight experiment in drama form is one of its kind in the country. The play is based on Kuvempu's book of same name, set in Malnad, the central mountainous region of Karnataka of the late 19th century.  The experience was powerful and magical. Imagine running around the Jnanabharathi campus every 2.30 hours in the night until early morning for seats as the show was performed at four different stages in an open-air setting. There were almost 1500 people for the show as they declared it to be the last run. Cousin M1 accompanied us and here we created a beautiful memory, the story we will tell to anyone who cares enough to listen. It's a powerful nostalgic moment for hubby as he belongs to the Malnad belt of the state. The art lovers in us were happy and content. Social distancing was not the norm at that point in time. If it was we would not have ventured out. 

By next weekend curfew was ordered in 7 districts of the state that included Bangalore urban. Then started the isolation followed by the nationwide lock down for 21 days.

I managed to read four books this month. The list is "The Last Time I Lied-Riley Sager; The Lying Game-Ruth Ware; The woman in cabin 10-Ruth Ware; The Devotion of Suspect X-Keigo Higashino. I first read Ruth Ware's "In a Dark, Dark Wood " last year and liked her story-telling style, which falls in my favoured genre. Her another book "The Turn of the Key" was nominated in the best mystery and thriller category of Goodreads 2019. So, I picked that in January and went on reading all other published works of her. This fixation was on Riley Sager the last two months.

The movie list goes like this; Driving Licence, Houseful 4, Dabangg 3, One Who Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest, Mardani 2, Maari 2, Bombshell, Maheshinte Prathikaram, and Kurukshetra.

The television show continued with 'The Last Kingdom' season second and third. Uhtred of Bebbanburg was the driving force in sustaining this harsh lock down. And Netflix announced April 26 as the official release date of season 4. However, I'm afraid nothing will be as per the plan during this pandemic.

I hear family members and friends alike not getting paid during the lock down. It is totally unfair and unkind. These are real people with lot of responsibilities and commitments. Their stress and anxiety is endless. I tried to console them by saying sailing through this global catastrophe unhurt is the most important thing right now. My cheering may sound hollow, still I messaged and called near and dear ones to check on them even though some of them had been irritating and annoying in the past. At least it is far better than banging vessels or burning candles.

Hoping for a corona-free world soon

Life in the Time of Corona

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This title was inspired by the novel "Love in the Time of Cholera". For an introvert like me home isolation is a blessing in disguise. Working from home is not the same as working from office. In office you have a disciplined routine to finish the workload within the stipulated time. I never in my entire work career extended a single minute than what was necessary. Its my firm belief that those who cannot complete their task within the time are incompetent. I digress.

Hubby and I get a lot of couple time during this period. Both of us are very professional when it comes to work. We set up work station in two different rooms from getting distracted. We take a lot of breaks in between to cook, organize things, water the plants, listen to music, read, write, paint, talk, and snuggle. This is the time we get to have three meals together, otherwise, its only dinner on weekdays. 

In the evenings we workout, whip some new dish, binge watch TV shows or movies. Well-stocked minibar helps us to take the edge off now and then. We're well equipped to sail through this confinement without glitch. However, it is difficult for hubby to contain his exuberance as he is a total outdoorsy and extrovert.

I'm heartbroken because of the cancelled holidays. We've earmarked and booked our calendar for Holi, Good Friday and Labour day weekends. All three were planned for three days each. The biggest blow is our rescinded anniversary vacation to Mauritius. If going by the statistics it is impossible to travel overseas for another whole year. As a traveler our situation is down in dumps.

As people with various interests and hobbies, these quashed holidays; scraped theater, movies, concerts; nipped adventures is taking a toll on us. The situation is grim and scary. Now it has become a part of my routine to check COVID-19 casualties as soon as I get up and once again before going to bed. It is totally a callous behavior on my part, but I'm not the only one here. This is the privileged me ranting about the inconveniences caused by the quarantine plonking on my ass while millions of fellow countrymen are struggling to make ends meet.

Earlier like all the entitled I used to urge everyone to stay-at-home and be safe. But having seen the visuals of millions of people on road without food and shelter being exposed to the pandemic because of the unplanned lock down, I stopped being that moron. And I will never be the person to cheer on for police brutality. We don't believe in donating to charity or Government organizations because of lack of transparency. So, already in the process of how to give a helping hand to the known less privileged.

The present condition is hopeless and frightful. I'm sad and depressed, but willing to give up my personal freedom for the welfare of fellow homo sapiens in the hope one day 'this too shall pass. My rose-tinted self is eager to write a post on "Life after Corona" soon, very soon.