Enakshi talks of the various kinds of love during the lockdown. An exclusive for Different Truths.

Love is a sublime feeling that can make one’s world spin in circles. It is that warm feeling that can reignite the lost euphoria and make one lose their ability to think rationally. Why do I say that you might ask? Well, I have felt love, fallen in love, experienced it and then lived it. But never before have I mutated love and morphed it into something that seems incomprehensible.

As I walked and looked, not at anyone in particular, an unexpected sight caught me unawares. Just two boundaries away, a man blew a flying kiss to someone on the opposite side. It wouldn’t take rocket science to guess my reaction. My eyes searched for the receiver of that kiss. I couldn’t spot anyone.

Last Friday, when the weather was generous enough to hide the balmy rays of the sun, I decided to take a stroll on the terrace. It was nice to be outside, alone. As I walked and looked, not at anyone in particular, an unexpected sight caught me unawares. Just two boundaries away, a man blew a flying kiss to someone on the opposite side. It wouldn’t take rocket science to guess my reaction. My eyes searched for the receiver of that kiss. I couldn’t spot anyone. I tried harder, scanning every balcony and terrace in sight. Still no one. I looked back at the man again. With determination painted on his face, he still looked at someone. I tried to locate the receiver and then I saw her. I saw her back. She was my neighbour and she was hugging her husband! I wondered if the other man’s kiss was to say ‘Wow! What a couple!’ or to say ‘Will you be the other half of my couple?’.

Love in the time of lockdown has driven me up the wall. The people who live right in front of my house have a dog, a St. Bernard. They love her so much that because of the unbearable Bangalore heat, they shaved off her fur. Apparently that was supposed to make her feel better. As if that wasn’t enough, the family decided to train the dog to sit outside in the open than to meander inside the ‘hot’ house. They went ahead with their plan and completed the training soon. Now, the dog has become so well trained that she sits outside the house, on the terrace, even when it is raining and no one bothers to call her inside.

Another love that has made me pull my hair is the love for food. One thing is for sure. After the lockdown, most of the people will emerge as self-proclaimed chefs. My distant aunt, for instance, has learnt to bake banana bread and make pancakes for her family.

Another love that has made me pull my hair is the love for food. One thing is for sure. After the lockdown, most of the people will emerge as self-proclaimed chefs. My distant aunt, for instance, has learnt to bake banana bread and make pancakes for her family. Surprisingly, after successfully completing the cooking chores and preparing delectable dishes, she complains about the fact that the shopkeepers do not have the basic necessity items like flour, oil and sugar. My dear innocent aunt, if only you understood the meaning of the term rationing, you wouldn’t have faced so many problems!

The last but definitely not the least is the love that people have developed for exploring their hidden talents and what better way than uploading videos that are just pious claptraps! Some people have started dancing on random songs, some have started singing, some are taking up ‘pass the brush challenge’, some are the masters of ‘pillow challenge’ and some just upload something ambiguous! They don’t do it alone; they urge their whole family to be a part of the fiasco.

The last but definitely not the least is the love that people have developed for exploring their hidden talents and what better way than uploading videos that are just pious claptraps!

But again, who am I? Just a voice in the wilderness! There is always a flicker of hope and during this time, the people who are actually acting as the beacons are the ones who are completing the incomplete tasks, bonding well with their families and actually being good and responsible citizens of our country.

Photo from the Internet