Lockdown is a word which most of us had never heard off till the coronavirus pandemic forced the entire country to go for a 21-day lockdown. This period started on the 24th of March 2020. Our Honorable prime minister said that there is no better way to deal with this pandemic. Therefore the entire country went for a complete shutdown. We have been locked within the 4 walls of our house since then. We are in phase 3 of the lockdown and now heading towards a 50 days lockdown.
My Experience
People have been sharing their experiences during the lockdown on the various social media platforms. Like a lot of others, the lockdown experience for me in the first three weeks have been quite interesting. No waking up early in the morning, no more following the same routine. I no longer have to run from this part of the city to the other for the purpose of work. I could take a good amount of rest that I have been craving for a very long time. Like most other women, life after marriage with a 5-year-old has been quite hectic . This lockdown helped me to get the rest that I have been craving for a very long period.
But then after 2 weeks, I started getting bored of staying at home. Like the entire country, even my busy schedule had suddenly come to a standstill. My son too started feeling the same way. He did not understand how to spend the entire day. I and my husband started working from home. But my son had nothing to do until his school came up with online classes. As of now, when we are approaching the end of 50 days, I would say that I have somewhat got habituated staying at home. I have got back to my routine, the only difference being that I am not able to go out of our apartment.
The best part of the lockdown has been the fact that I have been able to spend some quality time with my family. We get up in the morning, a little late than usual, and then go to the kitchen directly to get the breakfast ready. Then prepare my son for the online classes. After that, I and my husband start getting ready for our work. We work till lunchtime and then the three of us have lunch together. This lunchtime, to me, has been the best thing about the lockdown. We spend about half an hour to about 45 minutes on the lunch table and then get back to our work. My son takes a nap while me and my husband get busy with our work.
I love looking at my son’s adorable face at times while working and this provides me with the extra bit of energy that I need to complete my work. This has been quite a good feeling and something that the lockdown has helped me to experience. At about 5 pm, we have a cup of tea while continuing with our work. By 6.30 pm, I wrap up my work and get ready to sit with my little son for his studies.
There is an advantage of the lockdown here as well. When I used to go to the office, I had to come back home which would take about an hour, freshen up and then sit with my child. As of now, since I am at home, I can save the time that I would have otherwise spend on commuting.
The heroic stories
The extra time that I get for myself at night also reminds me of my maternal grandmother who has always been very dear to me. She has been someone who has stayed at home and served the family throughout her life. She never asked anyone to take her out, nor did she go out alone. I found this in most of the women of those times and today I feel that they were heroic indeed.
Just as it is not easy for today’s women to manage home and work simultaneously, similarly it is also not very easy to stay at home and serve your family the entire life. We are finding it difficult to stay at home for just a couple of months, but they have stayed within the four walls of their houses for their entire life. Moreover, they also did not have the financial independence that most women of today have.
I have also been constantly thinking about how a hundred wives of Akbar stayed in the harem throughout their lives. They hardly had any entertainment, nor did they get to spend quality time with their husband.
We might have progressed a lot, however, I feel that the women of those days have been extremely courageous and patient. The women of today indeed have to manage a lot of things together, but the life of women in those times have also never been very easy.
My Learnings
I have today realized how the poor animals in the zoo might be feeling caged for years. I have also decided that even after the lockdown period is over, I will no longer visit the zoo. It is time that we realize that like humans, even animals deserve to enjoy a free life. No one wants to stay within the four walls of a room.
I am quite sure that the entire country will be able to come out of this emergency within the next few months. But there are a lot of things that this lockdown has taught me. These learnings will be there with me throughout my life.
. I have always been a person who has lived in the future. But this lockdown has taught me the importance of living in the present. We indeed need to prepare ourselves for the future, but, it is also equally important to enjoy the present.