Lock-down Insight

It all started well, like a good shower quenching the holiday thirst.

The day starts with yoga and then preparations for breakfast and lunch, followed by family fitness fever, after which comes the family meditation time. After lunch, we have some relaxed time for playing games or watching films. Evenings go into gardening, reading pending books, pursuing hobbies, experimenting with ideas, recollecting old memories, enrolling into new courses, learning new skills, focusing on interests and listening to spiritual talks. Days are running at jet speed, rolling into weeks. Just a blink of the eye, and puffff…the day is over!

Then came the disaster in the form of restricted public movement—the Covid-19 lockdown.

The absence of house-help has brought with it some additional mundane chores to my life like washing clothes, sweeping the front yard, making rangoli, cleaning utensils and mopping the floor. This lock down has kicked in some unforeseen knowledge about often neglected nitty-gritty things. Here you go with the latest wisdom.

If ‘Washing clothes’ is a topic in syllabus, it has many sub topics like separating, soaking, soaping, brushing, beating, rinsing, wringing, hanging, drying and folding. And like troublesome questions in store after each topic, we are left with puckered fingers, perforated palms, cracked heels and broken nails. (I have to sacrifice my carefully-carved, long nails to this menial work. I turn a blind eye to all the 38 shades of nail paint bottles that look expectantly at me.) Needless to say, it takes too long for a wound or a scratch to get healed. The injuries that happen get worse due to continuous labour and they hurt every now and then.

As I always need a background music while attending to daily chores, I carry a Bluetooth speaker with me when I go to backyard for the strenuous project of washing clothes. As I listen to the music and sing or chant along, I notice my hands dancing to the music. They do kathakali while washing towels and when it is a 7x8 bed spread, they perform ‘shiva taandavam’. To let the cat out, I mentally communicate with the clothes and let them know that I am peeling off their layers of karma. Well, I know it sounds funny but all I need is some crazy inclination to complete the task. In an attempt to motivate myself, I even try to look at this onerous task like a fitness mantra. I pat my shoulder while meticulously executing the tedious task.

Shockingly, I find myself in awkward postures which I have never imagined to be in. They remind me of the famous cartoons that I used to scoff at, for their overtly pictured feminine poses. However, I now understand that they are the suitable postures for this peculiar work. I repent for not buying a washing machine when offered by my mom but I am grateful to her for having trained me in these areas. Realization dawns upon me that I use more detergent and water with double the time and effort when compared to my dhobi. Hopefully, I will pick up pace in no time though surpassing her would be a far cry.

Eventually, I become more conscious about not soiling the clothes. I also discover that pedicure is an easy go when it is done immediately after washing clothes. On the brighter side, basking in vitamin D is like gifting ourselves with strong and healthy bones, ripping off the vitamin deficiency acquired through years of labour in AC rooms.

Cleaning the utensils is no less a horrendous task! I am seen spending more time in kitchen, huffing and puffing with greasy dishes in my soapy palms, trying to twinkle them. I try to promote solidarity among utensils by sharing the lids and spoons. Curry is served directly from the cooked vessel, without transferring it into serving bowl.

These days, while cooking a dish, my main concern is not the necessary ingredients, but the number of utensils I have to use to make it. I wince when I use an additional plate or spoon out of habit. I applaud my observation and shift to the steel utensils as they are easy to clean than the Tupperware ones. Hands become rough and scorching. In an attempt to soften them, I learn that butter works better than imported creams.  Interestingly, cancelling to do a few dishes keeps a check to the calorie intake, thereby halting our weight gain.

‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’ is an age old saying. But this Covid-19 lock down has made the way too lengthy and meandering. I keep wondering when I am going to reach the destination of this seemingly never-ending path. However, I must admit that I owe my culinary skills to this lock down period which has turned me into a seasoned chef.

Sweeping the front yard literally eats away all the time and drains away the entire energy. I wish I had a magic wand that stops the fall of withered leaves, mid-way, making them fall directly into the bin. The long-forgotten art of rangoli making is again being practiced with utmost dedication. Once again, as a part of self-motivation, I try to convince myself that this traumatizing task is the best work-out to tuck in the tummy.

Fortunately, another wearisome task of sweeping and mopping the entire house is voluntarily taken up by my daughter which gives me some solace at this hour. I tentatively erase the thought of extending and renovating the house. I also secretly feel happy that it is not done by now. I brush aside the prospects of designing my personal library, flaunting the volumes of treasure I own. Instead, I bury deep into the pile of unread books.

Though staying between the four walls has put a check to several expenses like fuel and iron, I miss those perfectly-pressed, crisp, cotton sarees which I deliberately drape to college. The missing feeling of college, classes and students is over powered by online teaching sessions. It is intriguing to learn, practise and use another dimension of teaching. Learning a new skill always keeps us young, energetic and confident.

At the end of the day, I am impressed by the impeccably clean and tidy house. I admire the shining floor, sparkling utensils, crisp clothes and flawless front yard. I appreciate myself for being an agile learner. I am head over heels in love with myself over and again.

The bottom line is……Why depend on someone when I can perform better?