(5)
COVID LOVE
(Vani Patel)
Sang chal rahe haiii... dhup k kinare chav ki tarah…..
Qafiranaaaaaasa hai... ishaq hai ya kya hai...
Listening to Qafirana by Arijit Singh and Nikhita, two friends were in the car conquering the City of Life - Ahmedabad. She was looking outside the window and listening to the radio jockey on 98.3 FM announcing the Covid 19 pandemic while he was enjoying the comfortable silence with her. She could not bother less about the Covid neither did he bother- least they knew their life is about to change. He breaking the silence uttered "Riva... Where do you want to go?"
Two crazy fellows had run away for a day without informing anyone to explore the city, explore them and relive their own craziness. They wanted to be alive again - away from all chaos they wanted to hear their heart again and be heard by their soul again.
She told “let's go back home - to my place we will be sit at peace”. He without thinking anything turned the car and went back home.
Khamoshiya ek alfasss hai.
Kabhi a gun guna le zara...
Listening to the Khamoshiya by Arijit Singh they reached back to her place which was his soul settling place but he was not aware with what his peace was attached. She prepared tea and they drank at ease listening to the news. They were restless it was like unknown fear in their hearts. Two friends who complimented each other and knew each other in an out were quiet, quiet with nurturing unknown fear within them.
Modiji, Dynamic PM of our country announced complete lockdown for 21 days from 25th March 2020. They both looked at each other& realization ran through their brain that he will now not able to goto his hometown Surat for another 21 days. He felt peace she felt peace yet they were tensed about the situation. He was trying hard to make arrangements to leave back to his hometown but could not or maybe he did not try hard enough, may be somewhere he did not want to leave this place. Maybe they wanted a small break - a restart and they found lockdown as their chance.
Sitting on her terrace garden they started their Day 1 of lockdown with hot steaming tea sipping in with satisfying drag of cigarette along. They looked at each other looking at the sky and imagined how it would have been if it was a clear sky full of birds and soft sunrays. They had no jobs nowhere to go around nothing to do... they sat on the roof tops with undefined peace in their soul. They did not know whether it was them together which brought peace or whether it was the calm surroundings.
She said "Vira... Let's plan something for these 21 days and make it 'Our Days of Life'
That was the beginning of Sweet Covid - Lockdown.
Day 1 was to sketch their desires. They played songs and sat with dusted pencil and eraser they found from some corner of the house and a white paper. They put their heart out on the paper.
He drew a couple on their bikes kissing, feeling their love and she drew an infinity symbol with words written wild and free.
He left his painting incomplete, did not drew the faces did not mention the number plates either. She insisted to complete but he could not. Their hearts spoke on black and white paper. He said I will finish this painting when I find the face in my life.
Day 1 completed with their hearts feeling a little lighter and soul feeling that 21 days would be easier to pass.
Baatien ye kabhi na tu bhulna ...
Koi tere khatir hai ji raha..
Jaye tu kahi bhi.
Ye sochna.
Koi tere khatir hai ji raha
They ended their evening with this beautiful song by Arijit Singh
Day 2 of Lockdown: They decided to write a heartfelt note. She quickly knew what she wanted to write and for whom she wanted to write. He too finished his letter quickly... But they did not share their letters.
But day 2 of lockdown they felt something changed in them. Both felt they were calm than ever before. Running at the hands of clock. They now had time to listen to their soul. Writing helped them to understand their heart and get that innocence back in the relations which we humans have lost in the greed of modernity. They felt better, world was feeling better with them too. Sunset had never been so beautiful before, skies were clearer than ever before birds were giggling happily than ever before.
It was beautiful how the two soul on earth were healing and world was healing with them.
Dil ibadat kar raha hai... Dhankane meri sun
Tujko me kar lu hazil lagi hai yahi dhun...
Day 3 started with sharing one memory which they had kept in lock down.
Both were numb, both did not know if they should open the chapter. His belongings were at distant land but she had one hidden memory she wanted to share. She started playing with her golden chain the only jewellery on her body and lost in her thoughts she was staring at the beautiful butterflies in her garden. It was a new sight in these recent years, it felt well how the other lives on this earth were blooming in this lockdown.
She got distracted with his presence and she started to tell him her memory, “You remember that I don't like wearing any jewellery Vira, but I have never kept this chain away from me. I have kept this and will keep it with me close”
He was clueless he asked Riva why so... She continued “You remember vira we were out on a trip to Hyderabad? We were at the fire exit and enjoying our small talks? Later you gave me a hug at the goodbyes... My chain got tangled with you ... This chain has your touch Vira”
He was numb he could not take his eyes off her. He had million questions and million thoughts but at that time all he could do was got up hold her tight and he kissed her. The kiss lasted to breathlessness yet they did not stop. It was passion in action with cool breeze playing around them.
Hawaoooo pe jo ho gaye, patang jese kho gaye,
Zara Zara badla gaye hum kab… Khbr nahiii.
Listening to this song they smiled at how this Smokey memory changed to a beautiful present.
Day 3 ended and their forever started... their Covid Love got wings in this lockdown of 2020. They sat to complete their day 1 painting he sketched the faces finished the painting & they stuck it in their book of memories which was named “Wild & free –Us.” They read out the letters written on day 2 – they were shocked that both of them had written the letters to each other. Day 3 was a start, start to their ‘Happy little place of forever”
What was different in this lockdown?
What happened that opened their hearts out?
Why this Covid is beautiful?
This Covid is like we woke up to a new world.
We humans, are greedy – greedy without boundaries
In this lockdown, where is the romance of Paris?
Where is the power of The States?
Where is the magic from Disney?
Where is the sleepless New York?
Where is the religion fight now?
Where is our greed now, to run, to earn, and to be superior?
This Covid was the restart for not just Riva and Vira, it was a restart of thousand hearts which were numb over the years,
It was a restart to all those who forgot relations, little happiness, small talks and pen friend to the time.
It was a restart to all of us who thought that we are the only life present on this earth.
Look at the power beyond us that has given us the pause moment and has reinstalled each one of us.
This lockdown actually helped us to wake up to a beautiful morning, morning where
Families bonded,
Kisses got its passion,
Visiting grandparents is out of love now,
Gardens grew, Birds visit them often now,
Butterflies got its wings, Birds talked & humans listed to them sipping their tea in the evenings,
People were calm so was the sun,
Skies were blue and sunsets were beautiful again,
Pen friend came back, feelings were back, humans bonded – Humanity was back – Our Covid Love did the magic to live our lives again that we miss the most that we recite in the stories.
We understood that power is not valuable enough and money is not powerful enough.
Covid love gave us the chance to be Humans Again.
-Vani Patel
In love with #covidlove
