Strange Summers
Author: Dr. K.S Kang
In
Indian climate normally the summer season-being the worst part of the year- is
usually associated with separation and pain. Earlier when the new year dawned
no body had thought even in their remotest dream that after a few months the
whole world would come to stand and still due to an invisible, weightless,
hidden lethal foe. Sukh Lal worked in a corporate firm as an accountant. He had
joined this firm after clearing the final exams of Chartered Accountant. Though
his place of work was far from his home town but he had decided to go for it
keeping in mind the bright prospects, promotions in future and salary and perks
which his mofussil home town could not have given him at any cost. After he put
an year of service in this firm Sukh Lal’s parents searched a suitable girl for
him as his life partner, though they had started the search the day he had
joined this job. His wedding and engagement was finalized within a week of his
approval of the girl. Before his wedding Sukh Lal had a glimpse of his life
partner twice once when he approved the girl and then at the engagement just a
couple of days before wedding in the month of February 2020 when he exchanged
ring with her. His boss had approved just a week’s leave for this work out of
which two days were spent in traveling though he went back by air and a couple
of days were lost in wedding ceremonies and one day he had to take his newly
wed wife to her town for Pagphera.
So
the newly wed couple decided that bride would remain with her parents-in-law,
as in rich Indian tradition and heritage it is almost mandatory for the new
bride to remain with parents-in-law so as to serve them. So Sukh Lal went back
to his pace alone and it was decided that she would join him a month later But
just a week after their wedding exploded the bomb of Corona infecting and
taking lives of number of people world wide. Duet to it curfew and lockdown
became a necessity so as to contain the spread of this lethal malady that had
no remedy so far. Government even cancelled all flights, trains and buses and
everything came to stand and still. The only change in Sukhpal’s life that came
after wedding was that now he spent most of his time indoors and working from
home for his office. He even after marriage was still seen handling milk and
cooking meals in the kitchen in the morning and evening. Though he was eager
for her company but he could not take risk of making a journey to his home town
and then bringing her here. In normal times he would have asked his parents to
send her to him. He would have taken this risk of making a journey gladly if
the risk had been confined to him alone. But he could not have afforded to
bring infection to his near and dear ones in the journey.
In
the name of honeymoon he had just spent two nights and a day with his bride but
then thanks to technology as he could see her through video calls. But still
even this technology could not give respite for long. It forced him to think
that though summers are unpleasant and unbearable due to scorching heat of the
sun but this summers due to lockdown resulting from COVID-19 had made this
summer more unbearable and torturous for the new wed couples. Though still
there was uncertainty even after a month of lockdown when things would get normal
but still Sukhpal hoped that soon life would return to rails and everything
would become normal including his wedded life and he would be united never to
be separated again from his wife.
No comments:
Post a Comment