2021:The Present Time

Anushka Srivastava
3 min readMay 9, 2021

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L,I,F,E. These four letters word seems small but when we try to describe it, even hundreds of words run short. It seems so full yet feels incomplete. I always thought that the control of our life is in our own hand. Alas! didn’t know how wrong was I. The pain, the helplessn2021 The Present we are living iness, the shock and trauma through which my family and I went through is unprecedented and beyond words. And I know I was not the only one or am not the only one who has gone through this. The present in which we are living in is somewhat similar for all, just the difference is some are suffering less and some more. When this whole thing started last year I couldn’t imagine how horrific it would get with time. December 2020 was hard for us but then also I was not able to speculate that future could get even worse. Because we are always taught to see hope at the end. By the beginning of this year I started seeing hope and felt everything will get better soon. Who knew that only few months later I have to run for oxygen, bed in hospitals and ventilator to save someone so close. Never in my life I want someone to go through these things. The scar is deep and I don’t know as of now how much time would it take to heal. I had sympathy for people when I used to read all these things but when I went through the same I came to know that there is a fine line between sympathy and empathy and the line is so bright that it can be seen only if you have felt the thing. Now when I read and see people searching for the same not only my heart goes out but my soul too. I remember that night which you and I might consider it beautiful in normal days as moon was bright and full. The yellow dispersed light night sky. I was gazing at the moon with the same awe as I would have during normal days but unlike other days this time I was praying for the wellbeing. I was praying for the life. I was remembering the laugh I had just a day ago with that person. I never thought that it would be the last. I didn’t shed a tear when I got the news. I didn’t shed a tear when I saw her lying at the ground. I didn’t shed a single tear when they took her for cremation. My heart was not ready to accept. Her voice was echoing in my head with exact tone as if she was standing beside me and speaking. Only the next day when I woke up with the void I realised she is no more. She was my bua. She always stood up in my lows and highs. The epitome of beauty. Pure soul. When my turn came to serve her she left us. This is not so done! This disease is so dreadful that it didn’t even gave time to grieve. When whole family got covid, we started struggling for our life. I’ve never seen such situation ever in my life and I bet none of you have. I just want people to take care of themselves and their loved ones. We are all tired and want this to get over soon. And as I said earlier life can be described in many words and it depends upon the situation and if I have to describe it today I would say life is like a window pane, transparent. Draw the curtain and see things from inside and let someone to see your inside as when you put the curtains on, both the sides gets blocked. Sometimes storms outside gets too strong that it crack the pane but with time you have to fix this by your own. Build a new one. Look outside. Even though it is gloomy outside but a day will come when everything will be bright and you will shine.

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Anushka Srivastava

A wandering soul trying to settle for something; but 'something' is enigma.