Explore endless possibilities of being together

Almost 10 days into the lockdown, including the day of Janata Curfew, has the life changed. At the most, it could be termed as a nervous excitement. That is all. We have been experiencing something different and something new. Hence, there is not much fear or worry over the future. All that we have is a mutated curiosity over 'something' we don't know. It is like you are told that someone is a great astrologer and his predictions never go wrong and so you go to him and wait for the future to be unravelled.

This is a morbid condition of the mind, rather. We are yet to see the emergency as some countries in the world are facing now. If we are reading this, we are all oaky and neighbours also must be okay. We are not even getting bored with the social distancing aka physical distancing as this is only the beginning. But, let us not fail to mark each day of this crisis. How has it impacted our lives and how it is going to impact our future from a different prism. A prism called societal equations! How are we behaving as a friend, lover, father, mother and children of our families? This is perhaps the first time that a modern man (modern? in what sense?) is spending time with his near and dear ones.

When it comes to city, this could mean that the working couples are staying together. This staying together comes with a price. Because, each of us will not have the benefit of using our sounding boards to clear our day to day cobwebs. Anger, frustration, inimical feelings and hatred, mild or otherwise, need to be talked out. What begins as resentfulness in the morning becomes an inevitable mountain of suppressed anger by evening and we feel like taking it out on someone to be relieved of the stress. This lockdown does not give us the chance. That benign look and that cupping of our hands were always reassuring. This virus had no business to do this to us. It had no business to make us keep six feet away from our friends and the loved ones. Yet, it did it. And this makes us get on each other's nerves.

Perhaps it is happening already. Or is it not? This is normal. Let us understand it clearly. Have you ever travelled long distance with your family by road - say for two or three weeks? Travelling through the days and halting only during the nights? Then you know what is to be expected. You start carping, literally! Here is where criticism, contempt, defensiveness and negative expressions gain ground to hurt our partners and family members. Calm down. This is also a time for a review of our relationship. Think of the troubled times when our spouses stood rock solid by our side. think of those moments you found solace in their companionship. Think of the adverse times you tided over together.

There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Be wise. Understand that everyone is under similar stress. Now is the time for the abstract, not physical, interiorization of experience. Explore and enjoy the times.