My eyes dart towards the bright orange highlight that just jumped to frame the number 15 on my laptop’s calendar icon. It’s 12 am. More importantly, it’s August the 15th, 2009. I sigh. 62 years of Freedom. Apparently.
I am supposed to feel happy and proud today. Happy that the officials goofed up and that the death toll in the city due to H1N1 is actually 12,not 15. Happy that the weather forecast says it might rain for awhile today, which may just give a little relief to the impending drought staring right at us in the face. Happy that there hasn’t been any major terrorist attack that I know of this month... Happy that the awareness levels about swine flu is so high that half the city is virtually under a mini house arrest... too scared to even venture out of their homes..
Free from paranoia?
I can’t help reminiscing about my school Independence Day celebrations.. of the performances.. leading my House at the marching parade.. the patriotic songs..the speeches..year after year articulating a pledge to work towards a better tomorrow.. The festive air somehow made an optimist out of most people. If only for a day..making our hopes soar as high as the tricoloured balloons that we released happily up into the sky.
I try giving in to that same feeling of optimism now. Yes, there are signboards at every major chowk in the city..explaining in detail the do’s and dont’s to combat this latest strain of flu..
After eons, I see a PMC vehicle fumigating the area around my house, all the while announcing amplified information on H1N1, through the loudspeaker.
Why do we always wake up to action only when push comes to shove?
I saw the wholesale marketyard of Gultekdi wearing a deserted look two days back..very far removed from the flurry of activity and the sea of humanity which would otherwise be milling around on a normal business day. Huge posters declare a three day closure of the market on account of the swine flu. I couldn’t help but wonder at the scale of losses they might suffer. Pinching them much more than the loss of business for closed cinema halls, multiplexes and malls that everyone on facebook is cribbing about.
The clock strikes 1. Everyone at home is fast asleep, except me. My screen flashes an update as the first patriotic email finds its way into my inbox. I scan it half heartedly.. unable to bring myself to read it.
I’m distracted by the sound of a sudden Rrrrrip of something tearing.. I turn to look behind me. It seems to be emanating from somewhere near the window pane. I smack my head..maybe sleep is making me hallucinate a bit. But there it comes again..that same Rrrrip.. I turn around in my chair again, and stare fixedly at the window behind me..Is it the sound of the curtain brushing against the nearby plastic bag containing my books ..? I’m still staring puzzled at the curtain..when it begins to move.. Not naturally as when the wind blows the curtain forward.. but at an odd angle..like it was being pushed aside so that someone outside could peep in..! One ear splitting, blood curdling scream later (by which time of course the burgler(s) had beaten a hasty retreat..) I change the location of my bed to be as far away from the window as possible..
As i struggle to fall asleep that night..I try to gauge if I can still detect any real sense of optimism within me like during the carefree Independence days at school...
Free from Paranoia?
I’m not so sure anymore..
I am supposed to feel happy and proud today. Happy that the officials goofed up and that the death toll in the city due to H1N1 is actually 12,not 15. Happy that the weather forecast says it might rain for awhile today, which may just give a little relief to the impending drought staring right at us in the face. Happy that there hasn’t been any major terrorist attack that I know of this month... Happy that the awareness levels about swine flu is so high that half the city is virtually under a mini house arrest... too scared to even venture out of their homes..
Free from paranoia?
I can’t help reminiscing about my school Independence Day celebrations.. of the performances.. leading my House at the marching parade.. the patriotic songs..the speeches..year after year articulating a pledge to work towards a better tomorrow.. The festive air somehow made an optimist out of most people. If only for a day..making our hopes soar as high as the tricoloured balloons that we released happily up into the sky.
I try giving in to that same feeling of optimism now. Yes, there are signboards at every major chowk in the city..explaining in detail the do’s and dont’s to combat this latest strain of flu..
After eons, I see a PMC vehicle fumigating the area around my house, all the while announcing amplified information on H1N1, through the loudspeaker.
Why do we always wake up to action only when push comes to shove?
I saw the wholesale marketyard of Gultekdi wearing a deserted look two days back..very far removed from the flurry of activity and the sea of humanity which would otherwise be milling around on a normal business day. Huge posters declare a three day closure of the market on account of the swine flu. I couldn’t help but wonder at the scale of losses they might suffer. Pinching them much more than the loss of business for closed cinema halls, multiplexes and malls that everyone on facebook is cribbing about.
The clock strikes 1. Everyone at home is fast asleep, except me. My screen flashes an update as the first patriotic email finds its way into my inbox. I scan it half heartedly.. unable to bring myself to read it.
I’m distracted by the sound of a sudden Rrrrrip of something tearing.. I turn to look behind me. It seems to be emanating from somewhere near the window pane. I smack my head..maybe sleep is making me hallucinate a bit. But there it comes again..that same Rrrrip.. I turn around in my chair again, and stare fixedly at the window behind me..Is it the sound of the curtain brushing against the nearby plastic bag containing my books ..? I’m still staring puzzled at the curtain..when it begins to move.. Not naturally as when the wind blows the curtain forward.. but at an odd angle..like it was being pushed aside so that someone outside could peep in..! One ear splitting, blood curdling scream later (by which time of course the burgler(s) had beaten a hasty retreat..) I change the location of my bed to be as far away from the window as possible..
As i struggle to fall asleep that night..I try to gauge if I can still detect any real sense of optimism within me like during the carefree Independence days at school...
Free from Paranoia?
I’m not so sure anymore..
