Before I begin with events that unfolded during lockdown, I would love to take a moment to thank God for Everything. The plans of our creator are intricate and one must be a stalwart to overcome challenges in Life.Below is a description of my Covid experience which helped me to be a better human being after all.

Delhiities just had a respite from scorching heat. Its moderate temperature had attracted people from cold hit areas. Chill in Kashmir was imminent and weather experts had predicted harsh winter this year. I had decided to move out of the state. I was one of the Delhi lured boy. I had dialled a known professional contact of Delhi who had given an overview of the job scope of my profession. I was satisfied with his words. Parents had agreed upon the choice I made. Next week I travelled Delhi via Jammu in an air-conditioned commuter. I had felt a bit dizziness due to long travel. The weather was pleasant now and I had felt as right as rain.
I got adapted to the Delhi atmosphere soon. I had a professional job now. Things were honky-dory. World felt a little more my own.
One evening, while scrolling down social media account, I saw news about a deadly virus being detected in China. I had taken this news seriously. I saw one of the authentic news report that read "this virus is of Corona family, Wuhan’s wet market is its epicenter and Sea animals are its main source" .
In the coming months, the virus had gained much virulence and had spread quickly to different countries. This was when every country had started to seal borders to mitigate the virus. Demand for testing kits, sanitizer and masks had increased exponentially. Developed countries had seen unprecedented surge. This worried the less developed nations.
Friends in the flat had given their opinion, ‘nothing is safe unless everything is safe’. Their statement threw me off-balance. It was like an abnormal heart sound. I relaxed and started following the viral news. The disease caused by corona virus was specifically named as ‘Covid-19’ by WHO which means corona virus disease of 2019. At a time when China had pulled out all the stops and constructed a covid-19 special hospital in just 10 days, India had just started its awareness campaign. The first case in India had surged in Kerala. A 20-year-old female had contracted virus. Despite being a medical student it was altogether a Greek to me.
It was late February 2020. Delhi had witnessed communal riots. Anti CAA and anti NRC protests were simmering around. I had received frequent calls from home asking to vacate Delhi and return home. I mustered courage to talk to the parents about the deleterious impact of this virus on health. They were very anxious. I persuaded them and apprised them of the guidelines to mitigate the virus. Media houses were reporting the daily data of cases in the country. The protests thinned with time. State governments had issued proper guidelines to fight the virus. Everyone was busy fighting novel virus. I was living with PHD scholars. They all agreed to suspend every work and to not venture out daily. Two persons would don proper PPE and wear masks and go out and buy essential food items. We would later sanitize the whole food stock. The fear among people was apparent. Sober parents now had rebuked nature. We all were pressurized to return home for safety reasons. Normally, March has its own charm in Delhi but this time it was totally a threatening arrival. We were in a perplexed state. At a time when we were beseeching convenient passage to return home, a lady with foreign travel history had contracted fatal virus back home. This added to our worries. This news was followed by the covid death of an elderly man . Death due to the virus would mean no usual funerals and graveyards. The graves would be in isolation and desolation.
Before it could wreak havoc, we all decided to fly home. We booked tickets on different dates. The first ticket was scheduled on 25th March 2020.
Onus to our bad luck, the whole air traffic was shut on 24th March. Everyone seemed stuck and gloomy. Inter-state road traffic was also restricted. Special buses were arranged to ferry laborers and students to their respective states. We saw barefooted people walking hundreds of kilometers to reach their destination. Women with pall of gloom were carrying children against their chest. We saw tragedies befalling. Scenes on television were heart wrenching. Positive cases were surging substantially. Situation was jeopardizing human life. As markets were shut, economy was depressing. NGO’s and Social Trusts had pulled their socks to feed the needy.
Phones were buzzing from home. They suggested to opt for government arranged transport. We sensed risk and till the dust would settle down we decided to stay indoors. We spent good time in isolation. We braved half of Ramadan together. Friends decided to go home to celebrate Eid. They threw caution to the wind, booked a mini bus and left. I was alone in the flat now. However, I was in touch with them. They deliberated upon the hardships they faced at Jammu border. They told that they were divided into district wise groups and buses. Their nasal sample was taken to check covid-19 disease.
I was attending a next door acute stroke patient. Any deferment in his treatment would invite stiffness to his joints and muscles. I would attend him while taking proper precautions. I decided to stay put. After three to four days the test report of all the friends came negative. They were happy and home. I had made my mind to return home once flights resume. Travelling by road was time-consuming and highly risky.
Being alone in the room, I celebrated Eid with the family via video call. It was an unusual experience. World was no more my own now. I spent most of the days treating next door patient and reading books. Meanwhile, government had announced partial resumption of domestic flights . To hit the bull’s eye, I had booked a flight on 31st May 2020.

Left Delhi

I took a cab and reached Delhi airport at 12:30 AM. The flight timing was 07:30 AM. It was my second night waiting at any airport. The earlier one was at Assam airport in May 2019. I had quantified quality face shield, mask and sanitizer to combat virus. While boarding the flight I was scanned with a thermometer. The temperature was normal. I got a seat at 7F. I returned to my homeland after eight months. While alighting from the plane, everyone had to follow strict covid-19 guidelines. It was drizzling but nobody knew which way the wind would blow. My identity was checked and I gave my details of my travel history. After taking the luggage, my nasal sample was taken. This was the first fretful moment. I was directed to head towards covid-19 team of warriors of my district. I was made to wait for the next flight to arrive as I was the only one from the district in this flight. I waited for more than two hours until the next flight arrived. We were six now. We all were to be put in the quarantine centre until the result of our nasal sample would come. We were told to board a minibus. Among the six individuals was an elderly man with multiple ailments. He was unable to stand on his legs. He probably had diabetic neuropathy. He was assisted by his helper to board the bus.His frail condition was posing serious questions. I wanted to help but the suspected virus barred me from extending the arm. In the bus he was repulsive and would suddenly yell at things. His articulation was disoriented. Being hapless, I was shaken to the core . His frowned face was nibbled away by the viral threat. His deep moist eyes were seeking refuge. He wanted to be pain-free and peaceful. The scene was appalling. I faked a winsome smile at him but he was unresponsive. To not breach necessary protocol, one police vehicle escorted us. We were sent to a hotel in Srinagar. The travel was perturbing.

Tested Negative

We were distributed in different rooms. I fortunately had a single room. I sanitized whole room with a pump sanitizer. I received enough calls from family, friends and relatives. They all enquired about my health and the administrative arrangement. Food and tea was served in the room. I was keenly following news about the pandemic. World had now millions of positive cases with deaths increasing proportionally. Every country was trying to flatten the curve. Smart lockdown and implementation of standard operating procedures were helpful in combating the virus. Global communities made commitment to work together to tackle the virus. But this was insatiable to restrict chaos among the masses. I was fearfully waiting for my result. My test report came after 24 hours. It was negative and I felt relieved. I was home quarantined for fourteen days. I listened to the succinct description of strict lockdown days of my village. I learnt how violators were being enforced to stay put. I was becoming more analytical and coherent with a subtle behavioral change. Quarantine period was over and I was now as happy as Larry.
China had almost curbed the spread. USA, Italy, France and other nations were still experiencing deadly spike in the curve. Researchers and pharmaceutical analysts were busy finding the antidote. I decided to venture out following guidelines. I met my friends. One was banker and columnist and other was tech savvy. We would often meet to discuss the happenings of the pandemic and issues of social reforms.
Meanwhile, a noble woman in the village had expired of novel virus in June. Immediately after her death the local administration had decided to conduct mass testing in the village. A date was fixed and announcement was made on loudspeaker to aware the public. My high school classmates decided to go for tests. I was already negative and thus dug heels to partake in the process. However a friend dragged me to go with him inside the testing centre. Out of blue, I also gave away my oral sample. I discussed this with professional friends and they hardly believed my word.

Tested Positive

It was Saturday afternoon and I had scored quick fire 45 runs off 20 balls and made the team win the cricket match. I was fit like never before. On the same day at supper, my phone buzzed with texts and calls. I received a cousin's call and he told me that I was covid-19 positive. I had the last bolus of food in my mouth. It had a toxic feeling now. I couldn’t utter a single word except ‘ok, let me check’. I cut the phone and saw an SMS. I was one of the five asymptomatic positive cases in the village. I didn’t tell anyone unless everyone finished dinner. I broke this news with my parents and they encouraged me to feel well. After some time, I received an official call from the administration and was asked to pack the belongings. . While packing I was discreetly surrounded by familial gloomy faces. I cracked pandemic jokes to make them feel at ease. But they were very wary and worried about me and themselves. They enquired about lemons, dry fruits and face masks. My father embraced me to combat the virus. I waited for a long time before I heard the loud siren of an ambulance. My mother accompanied me to the main gate and I left the house at 01:15 AM. Inside the ambulance I saw a girl with moist eyes worried for her family and an old man concerned about his wife and children. Being a medical student I started to normalise the situation and told them how we can defeat the virus. Well inside my heart, the throes of the pandemic had stimulated my veins. I was recapitulating the scene of how my friend dragged me to covid-19 testing centre and how cheaply I gave away my sample. I remembered how everything was hunky-dory before everything turned topsy-turvy. On reaching the quarantine centre the officials directed us towards the rooms. I did not sleep that night. I felt plundered and pillaged.
Next day I shifted and shared a room with a young Srinagar boy of my age. I still wondered how my friends who touched me on the testing day came negative while I was positive. I was dumbstruck with the result. I questioned my quarantine roommate about the specificity and sensitivity of the test. He also shared his lucid thoughts and we decided to stay alert and cautious about food and people around. My family was also quarantined in a local government building. I couldn’t gather courage to make a call to ask them about the facilities being provided although I had heard that their facilities were unmanageable. A single washroom for fifteen people would mean transfer of virus from one person to another. This devastated my inner belief of being a meek son. I knew I could do nothing but to pray for them. I increased my faith in God and prayed for the welfare of my family. After a week I re-sampled and turned covid negative now. I reached home and was eager to see my parents well. Verily! after every difficulty there is ease. They also came negative after few days. Mother re-enlightened home, father sat at his place and elevated honor and grace of the house.
We all followed SOPs and shared experience with visitors at home. My evening walks continued after few days. I explicitly described real scenes of a positive patient to my friends. Months passed by and the curve in the state had flattened. Researchers had warned of dreadful second wave of the virus worldwide. Wearing masks were made mandatory. This was a new normal life now. As the cases were not alarming, I decided to fly back to Delhi. I reached Delhi with a lot of covid experience .
In nutshell, covid experience has had many health and behavioural benefits on my life. It showed how world superpowers bowed down to zillionth and zillionth times smaller micro-organism. It also reflected how perseverance and instinct belief in God alleviates pain and sufferings.
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Email:-------------------nainzulkar171@gmail.com