COVID — FIRST ANNIVERSARY
(CONVERSATION WITH COVID)
Me : “You’re not welcome, keep a distance. But I would like to converse with you.”
Covid (with a smile) : “Okay, 6 feet apart!”
Me (furiously) : “Not funny. Your first anniversary is so many people’s death anniversary too. You’ve taken lives of 1.3 million people!”
Covid (amused) : “I may be framed for some of these deaths but you’re taking selective statistics. Have you looked at the overall death rate between past year and this year?”
Me (defensively) : “You pushed people to work from home and had many fired”
Covid : “That’s called recession. It’s not me.”
Me (bitterly) : “You are the reason for recession.”
Covid (sarcastically) : “Wait wait wait wait! What was the situation before? Were you living in the Golden Eras? Unemployment rate is still lesser than 2013.”
Me (scornfully) : “Huh! Now who’s taking selective statistics? You’ve literally paused world travel and you’re claiming to be innocent?”
Covid : “Don’t you have statistics which reveal pollution reduction? I’m not all evil, I just want to make people realise the urgent consequences of their careless behaviour. Besides they also save commute time.”
Me (irritably) : “Oh! So now you’re playing moral police huh? You’ve encroached family privacy and literally pushed offices into homes.”
Covid (grinning) : “As per a survey by CNBC, 60% of full-time workers who’ve been working from home say they are very satisfied with their job and are also more productive. Hey, it’s not me saying.”
Me : “How much inconvenience did organisations face? You’ve literally made them nuclear.”
Covid (shrewdly) : “TCS announces that 75% of its workforce will enduringly work from home by 2025. I made them rethink their way of operation. By the way, if you can make nuclear bombs, nuclear power, nuclear families, why not nuclear offices?”
Me (heatedly) : “You literally made 51% of the people shriek adjusting with internet troubles. What is the counter statistics from you this time huh?”
Covid : “Wait a minute, are you saying I’m responsible for IT trouble? They just got exposed. I’m just making them self-reliant. This also helps reverse urbanisation for which I don’t mind accepting credits from you :).”
Me (peevishly) : “Ha! You wish! You’ve created so many psychological problems. You cut them off from life, gave them anxiety and mental health issues. Is this your ideal of self-reliance?”
Covid : “Do you think they were united earlier? As if they were not already facing these problems. There is a limit to blame!”
Covid (conclusively) : “Look, I understand you people are soon going to destroy me completely. You can blame me all you want, but I’m not the villain here, I’m just a mirror. This is your wake up call. I’ll come again if you’re not learning to live and let live naturally.
Before signing off I want you to remember the following :
- The world is not only for humans. Be mindful about it.
- Plan your action, not with arrogance but with neutrality.
- Be close to nature. Nurture nature.
- Use statistics wisely, not just for selective convenience.”
PRUTHVEEM DHARMANAA DHRUTAAM (The Earth is held by dharma)
— Bhoomisuktam
