Gayathri Krishna S

My journey to adult hood has been quite a roller coaster. From the age of seventeen onwards, I’ve been a witness to many forms of disasters from Ockhi to flood and Nipah;  flood and Nipah happening twice and now corona. People say god works in mysterious ways, if this is how god works then well, mysterious would be an understatement. My exams were cancelled in the middle and we had to go into quarantine. I’ve dreaded exams my whole life. But looking through my window at that weird eagle standing motionless on top of the water tank opposite my house like its performing opera and suddenly staring at me as if it wants to feast on me is making me think, well I don’t think exams are that bad. I know it’s a big statement to make. But I have no regrets. I’ve always hated going to college. For me, the perfect day is staying at home watching movies and listening to music. But now its changed. I feel like my guardian angel is mocking me ‘You must really enjoy your quality stay at home time’. I was actually pretty cool initially. I thought let’s check out the recommendations for movies on internet. Then I saw a link ‘movies to watch during covid epidemic’ and I clicked it immediately. And guess what all the recommended movies were about; epidemics. I mean people are already really freaked out about this corona virus and you wanna scare them again? Or is this a joke? Is this like a Halloween prank or April fools prank. Like initially there are a group of movies about epidemics and then you scroll through it and in big caps locked and highlighted word its written ‘gotcha’. And then there is an actual list of funny, happy feel good movies that would make you forget all about this corona thing. But no, that’s the actual list. I just wanna tell these brave hearts who are watching these movies and recommending them,  please don’t add fuel to the flame. We have news channels for that. Music recommendations are even worse and I decided to stick with my favorites and I was done with all these recommendations. But the most astonishing was YouTube channels for civil service examinations. Most people all over the world are like ‘the world could probably end. Please stay home and be safe’ whereas these YouTube videos are like ‘write these down, this will probably come for the mains examinations’.

But things aren’t so bad for me. I’m reading now. This is the first time I’m regretting not buying books and mostly reading from college library. I could use some books right now. But I do have some books. And I’m reading them. And who knows staying at home and reading  a lot could transform me and make me like the young lawyer in Anton Chekhov’s ‘the bet’. I could become enlightened and renounce the material world and be like Buddha. Although in Buddha’s time there wasn’t Corona, so he could just go out easily without the fear of catching it. He got enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and gave his first sermon at Sarnath to five monks. Both my enlightenment and my first sermon would’ve to be at Edapazhinji and my parents would have no choice but to listen to my first sermon. Ah, never mind I’d rather not get enlightened. But I am for the first time paying attention to all the little things like how my nails are growing way too fast and at this rate I might have to cut them every week and how my mother isn’t as awful a singer as I thought she would be and how the constant stare of this eagle again at the same spot on the water tank is making me think whether it’s possible for eagles to have crush on humans. But most importantly I’m noticing that I don’t have it half as bad as my parents do. Being outside and working non stop, suddenly they are left with nothing to do and seeing them on their phones 24×7 laughing at trolls make me feel like there’s an inner meaning behind their laughs and those laughs are in actual a cry for help. If they want to work so bad, I don’t mind letting them clean my room and my bathroom as well. But for security issues, its better I don’t suggest that to them.

All in all, things aren’t so bad for me. I spend my time reading , writing , annoying my parents and trying to figure out what the deal is with that eagle.  And let me bore you by repeating what everybody has been saying to you. The best thing we can do at this difficult time is staying at home. So take this time and try to find a hobby. For me it’s the eagle for now. I’ll let you know when it changes. So find your thing. Be productive. And be safe.

And one more thing,  Break The Chain.