Lady Corona

“ Open the door! But don’t come out. First wear the suit, cover your head, put on your face mask properly. Pack your bags . Fast! No time ! we are waiting. Come down...” barked a terribly dry voice. “Thud” a packet was thrown carelessly close to my apartment door.

I wondered who could dare to order me around ,barging into my premises? I gingerly picked up the packet with my left hand - smiling why we make the poor left hand to do all ghastly things and with two fingers of the right hand slightly moved the curtain of the living room window to see the outside scene from my first floor window. 

Red and blue lights of an ambulance was flashing and four people, resembling  astronauts from an alien space were looking up at my window. I could not read their emotions from the plastic visors which they wore. Suddenly my trouser pocket started vibrating . I panicked , clumsily rummaged  into the pocket to pick up my mobile phone.

“ Hello Anil. Please pack your bag and follow the instructions. Please come down . We are waiting for you. You have been tested positive for Covid 19,” announced Mrs. Beena , the Head teacher in a nervous voice as if her usual confidence was lost to the unknown virus.

I turned around trying to sink the import of her words. Looked in the mirror hung on the wall of the living room , wondering did I hear right? Why I never felt a thing of all those symptoms which have been reading all these months. I had a slight running nose. The staff nurse had assured that it was only a common cold. Nothing to worry.

The mobile phone was ringing again. I picked up. The call was from my colleague Amit. “ Please hurry up. All are waiting. There are few more people they have to pick up”. Now I was angry. I rushed to the kitchen. I threw the half cooked food in the dustbin. Next moved to the bedroom wardrobe, carelessly picked few clothes and tossed in my overnight bag, along with toilet items. I came back to the living room. 

I opened the plastic packet thrown at me and found the same plastic astronaut dress worn by those aliens downstairs , shower cap and a visor. I wore with reluctance like a school kid wearing his uniform on Monday morning. Yet I felt funny for a moment and like a teenager clicked a selfie.  

I picked up my over night bag and went downstairs. Immediately the ambulance door was opened and I was shooed in and ‘slam’ the door closed. I had glance of my colleagues , all of them covering their face with different masks resembling apes of pre historic times. With a jarring sound of the siren the ambulance left the campus gate.

I am a language teacher in a residential school and like others, stay on the campus with my small family - Aditi my wife and two children. I was glad that Aditi was at her parents place 1200 miles and I spoke only a few minutes back  before this fiasco asking her not to venture to come to me rather I would go and pick up the family during autumn break. For a moment I wanted to call her but couldn’t take the phone out from my pocket under the space suit and gave up the idea. I would call her once I settle down wherever I was being taken, I thought

 It was late evening. We reached the district hospital. One isolated wing of the hospital was converted into Quarantine centre. I picked up my bag and walked into the hall . White walls . Iron beds with blue sheets. Next my eyes moved to the people in the room. May be around eight people between twenty to thirty years old.

 I was confused, stood in the middle of the hall, waiting for someone to direct me. No medical staff was around. Out of the eight, one bit shortish fellow shouted “ Hello ! Choose any bed. All ours . We are the kings here!” All others laughed loudly and in spite of myself I smiled. 

I walked towards the corner bed almost near the door as if I can leave the place fast. The same shortish fellow again spoke “ you can remove your suit. All of us are safe for each other”, he winked and again a peel of laughter echoed in the almost sparsely populated hall.

 I was wondering why I was feeling so warm and sweaty? I removed the suit , the shower cap and of course the visor . I wondered what should I do with those terrible plastic clothes. Once again let’s say my new friend read my thoughts and indicated at the dustbin to dispose them. I sat on the bed and slowly put my hand in the trouser pocket to bring my phone out.

Empty pocket! Again I looked at the other pocket no luck. I emptied the overnight bag on the bed - still no phone. I was desperate that the last connection with my world was lost. Suddenly I realised my stupidity of leaving the phone on the side table after clicking my selfie. Tears started flowing down my cheeks and all in the room started looking awkwardly at me. My friend again spoke “ you forgot your mobile I suppose. Don’t worry I will let you use my mine after sanitising every time. I smiled through the tears . I started liking this little fellow. 

No one came to the hall . It was around 10 pm , I wore my night dress and slept fitfully on the bed. All night I had funny dreams and tossed number of times. When sleep actually caught up, I wanted to believe that I was just having a nightmare. once I open my eyes, I would be in my cosy bed looking at the beautiful blue skyline and the green leaves of the big almond tree near my window.

“ Wake up! Wake up.. bed number one” , muffled voice  called and slowly I opened my eyes. A nurse in the same space suit , mask on the face and big transparent goggles covered her eyes. May be she smiled, I could not make out. Briskly she checked my temperature , pulse , blood pressure , noted in the chart and moved to the next bed. Within no time she finished her routine investigation and left in a hurry as if spending little more time , the devil of virus would catch her too. Once again the reality dawned I was in the  hospital and it was no dream.

“ Good morning bed number one” called my friend. 

“ Good morning , my name is Anil and not bed number one”, I remarked bit sternly.

“ Oh, ok I am Harish”, smiling my new friend looked at me with big kind eyes. 

Breakfast was laid on a long table and each patient had to serve himself one after another, managing the social distance.  

I was back to my bed , sulking all the while. Of all the Fifty members in the campus , why only I was affected. I hardly ever went out after the pandemic was declared. I never socialised. Most of the time I spent in the library or home conducting on-line classes. I would have been better off in a prison. At least I would have got chance to walk, exercise and work. How would I spend the day here doing nothing. I should have brought few books. Only unhappy thoughts crossed my mind all the time. 

“ Ha, ha , ha ... the loud laughter made me turn and look at other members. They were all engaged in some game like dumb charades. Harish also asked me to join the group. Initially I was reluctant but slowly started enjoying. I was no more a stern, disciplined school teacher but was transformed like student enjoying all the pranks when the teacher leaves the classroom. 

 My new friends started introducing themselves and every one would end the sentence with ‘Mater Ji’ which means a teacher.

“ I am Jitu, a shopkeeper, master ji”

“ I am Madan, a tailor, master ji”

“ I am Kripal, a brick layer, master ji”

I can’t remember all the names but understood that all of them were semi literates, had no permanent jobs, were at high risk of getting the infection, no work , no pay but still happy and brave enough to face the pandemic.

 I was curious to know what Harish did for living.

As if he could read my mind , he smiled and said “ I am an apprentice labourer and take up any job that comes my way.” Flashing his charming smile. 

 I pondered . I had a good job. Lot of people to care for me at least outwardly.  What was I afraid of? The pandemic or the stigma attached to it. Or was the sudden isolation from the materialistic comforts? 

The people with whom I spent all these years suddenly abandoned me and I don’t know how they would welcome me back? Again a lone tear fell shamelessly. As a student I used to read that every calamity brings about many positive changes in Nature. This pandemic helped me to learn an important lesson to ‘live for the day’. Being humane matters not the paper certificates, or comforts which we buy. 

The next seven days of my confinement just passed in fun. A variety of games, songs from movies, recipes of how to make delicious dishes with minimum ingredients and entire route map of the city, economical shopping places  and street foods which my new friends taught me. I felt more enlightened than ever. 

 On one afternoon when in was teaching them some words of English language, Jitu suddenly questioned me, “ Mater ji , you are so knowledgeable and how is that the ‘ Lady Corona’ ( they used to address the pandemic) caught you?” Others started laughing loudly. I was bit embarrassed . Again Harish came to my rescue “Well! Master ji has equal right to enjoy the company of “ Lady Corona”. It was my turn to laugh loudly after all these years of wearing a false mask of pride, intelligence and superiority, for the first time I was feeling happy with the plastic face mask which didn’t bother me anymore.

“ Mr. Anil, congratulations . Your test reports are clear. You will be discharged today”, the burly doctor in his space suit which added more heavy look to him, announced happily. I signed the papers and packed my bag. The rest in the group were also discharged on the same day except Harish. 

I looked at him sadly but he laughed “ I am happy to stay here for some more days. I needn’t worry about my next meal , a comfortable bed, and more new friends.” I tried giving him whatever money I had . He refused. “If you don’t mind, better give the money to my father if you could and tell him I would be back soon, unlike my brother who was gulped away by ‘ Lady Corona ‘ ”, still smiling he left a small piece of paper on my bed with his home address written in a clumsy handwriting.

I was back in the ambulance but more sadder than before for leaving all those friends who enjoyed and controlled Life better than an intellectual like me.