Detox

It was a ‘today’. I am saying ‘today’ cause today is like any other day, be it Sunday or Thursday. Five hundred and fifty-nine hours have passed since the lock down. This lock down has changed our lives drastically. People who were working are now sleeping, and people who were not working (um, the government officials here) are now supposedly working. I bet ten bucks on this; Corona is definitely more popular than Taylor Swift right now.

I was watching the same old news about this villain, the only difference being the numbers in the category of death toll and affected. My father, who was glued to the couch right from the morning, was reading the news from the daily loudly for my mother. My mother was roasting chicken and I was expecting to smell some parsley, but the only thing I could smell was a lime-flavored disinfectant. My sister was getting ready to pose and pout for her Instagram post, so that she could caption it “Got ready, but nowhere to go! #stayathome #staysafe”. My puppy had also gone crazy, because he was sitting in his food bowl and was eating his meal, which was scattered on the floor.

The City Park was completely deserted, probably except the ants who were having their morning walk. People were talking across their balconies. The same people who used to gossip behind each other’s back, were now acting like people who cannot live without talking to each other. There were many colorful “Thank You” messages for the doctors and workers drawn all across the pathway. I was sinking into thoughts of all this craziness.

Then, my eye caught something. Something very unusual. This ‘unusual’ had taken the place of my teak-wood wardrobe. The ‘unusual’ thing was something like a portal to somewhere. It was looking like those magical things you see in the movies. I decided to walk in and see if it leads me to ‘somewhere’. I was definitely having some second thoughts. As soon as I placed my right leg inside, I was sucked in, as if I was a piece of dirt. I closed my eyes, thinking of what I would see next. I was just hoping it was not something, that would scare the shit out of me.

I opened my eyes partially, to see what was happening. I saw a circular figure, with some twig like structures rooting out of it. Its appearance shook me. Ghastly creatures. It spoke first.

It: Nǐ hǎo!*

(I presumed that it said ‘hello’ cause that’s the very first thing you say when you are meeting someone)

Me: (all panicky) Who are you? What are you? Where am…(interrupted by ‘It’)

It: Kěyǐ qǐng nǐ bùyào húluàn?*

Me: What the hell are you saying?

It: Oh! I think you don’t understand what I’m saying. Chinese is actually my native language. I was first seen in China.

I didn’t reply. I didn’t know what to say.

It: I’m the Corona, also known as the COVID-19 by my loved ones.

(I gasped. I didn’t except this. Weird.)

Me: (pretending to be cool) Corona? You actually exist. Like you talk!

(There was a smirk growing on ‘It’s’ face, probably not a face cause it didn’t have one. Whatever it is. That was not the point.)

Me: Why the hell are you doing this? People are dying. We are suffering. Do you get that? People are losing their loved ones. Who do you think did this? You. What did we do to you?

(Now, I was out of questions, so I had to stop. Asking the same questions again didn’t make any sense to me.)

Corona: You done? May I please get your permission to speak? No, I don’t need one. (starts laughing)

(I nod)

Corona: Umm, so what was your first question? Why am I doing this? I am doing this cause you humans are making me do this. I’m here, so that you will stay at home, which will help our Dìqiú* to cut out her pollution and clean herself.

Me: Our what?

Corona: Our planet Earth. You stay at home. Wait, correction. I make you stay at home.

(I didn’t expect this reason coming)

Me: You have good motives, but the way you are trying to achieve them is wrong. You are helping the planet to clean herself, but on the way, you are cleaning up people.

Corona: (annoyed and angry) So, what could I do? It’s been so many years; she is trying to convince you people to stay healthy and keep her healthy as well. But you people, on the other hand, do not even try to listen. You get out, pollute the city. You stay in, you can’t pollute your surroundings. It’s just 24 days you are trying to stay inside, and you see, the pollution levels have definitely gone down. Drastically.

Me: But…( It was clearly seen that I had no explanation to give)

Corona had a question mark pasted to its face. I guess even I had one.

I closed my eyes again. I was back. I was standing right in front of my teak-wood cupboard. I was back to the ‘sinking in thoughts’ part again. But this time, I was thinking about what we have done. I was thinking from their perspective.

This magical portal thing helped me face the reality.

I was expecting a flash of water. It might just be a dream. This incident was supernatural. How can I meet Corona? This has to be a dream.

It took me some time to get back to normal. I was wrong. It isn’t necessary that this should be a dream. This is reality, and we have to face it. Probably, this is ‘karma’. We are getting back the same treatment we gave to ‘her’. We shouldn’t have done that.

I went back to the drawing room.

Now, my father had de-glued himself from the couch, and was working on his laptop. The smell of the now smoky chicken had attracted my brother’s attention. Everything now didn’t seem as weird as it used to be.

The only thing we have to do now is overcome the corona virus. Stay at home. Be safe.

Lets not pollute ‘her’. It’s the best thing we can do right now.

Let our Dìqiú* do her DETOX.

Dìqiú*- ‘Planet’ in Chinese

Kěyǐ qǐng nǐ bùyào húluàn?*- ‘Can you please stop blabbering?’ in Chinese

Nǐ hǎo!*- ‘Hello!’ in Chinese