You must be wondering why today’s title is in Hindi, isn’t it? I understand it’s unusual of me putting up something like this as a title of my blog. But imagine reading – In the window opposite to mine, sounds weird right?
I think some phrases should be used without translating them. That retains the essence. Today, I would like to tell you a short story through this blog.
I feel it’s necessary to share this one because with “Unlock 1.0” you see the corona cases reaching sky high now and the silent carriers roaming freely without a mask or so. We can’t stop anyone now. We need to learn to live with the virus.
As you already know that my parents were tested positive for COVID-19 a few days ago. That’s when I was home quarantined. During those days, I’ve come across tons of people. Some weird, some kind.
One such story which is very close to my heart is about this lady who stays just in the house opposite to mine or rather “Mere samne wali khidki mein…”
It was difficult to stay caged inside the four walls, especially amid the harsh mid-May days and when my parents were fighting for life in an isolation centre a few miles away.
The only view I had, in my quarantined days, was the lady who stayed just opposite to my house. She gave me company while I wrote or simply sat in my balcony.
Her day started with her two kids around and ended with them still around. It was nice to see the tiny tots moving around behind their mother all day long. The younger one being the naughtiest amongst them, would create havoc inside the house and nicely trouble his Mom with his pranks.
I enjoyed watching their small quarrels and pitied the lady for her tiresome job of being a Mom. Her kids are chatterboxes and talked so much throughout the day from asking their Mom to cook the pasta that was lying in the fridge for a long time now to gossiping about the characters of Tarak Mehta Ka Ultah Chasma (a popular comedy TV show).
The 10-year-old is tall and handsome while the little one who is around 6-year-old is adorable. I wonder how charming they’ll grow as adults!
Our buildings stand at a distance of around 40 meters and because of the lockdown (due to a drastic drop in the noise levels), I could hear everything that was being said from the window of this family of four. And I would spend hours sitting in my balcony in their company.
The mother of two, a South Indian who spoke fluent Marathi, smiled at me whenever she got a few free seconds out of her busy kitchen schedule. There was a warmth in her smile which assured me that everything is going to be fine soon. I felt jovial. Her smile made me forget all the tension and my loneliness withered away in that very moment.
It’s beautiful how a smile can do wonders to someone, isn’t it? We exchanged no words, we haven’t met much, but I guess sometimes words don’t matter much. It’s the understanding between two people that connects them, even from a distance.
On some pages of my Quarantine Diary, you’ll find tiny mentions of this lady who stays just opposite to my house or mere samne wali khidki mein…
I just want to take a moment to thank her for being there for me (though virtually) in my tough days.
Let’s not look down upon COVID-19 patients, instead, shower some more kindness on them. Hope you take this message home and offer a sweet smile to the one in need.
I hope you liked today’s story. I would love to know your stories of smiles in the comment section below. I’ll be waiting eagerly.
P.S. To know more about my Quarantine Diary, read my ebook “Home Quarantined” which is available on Amazon.
