Love in the Time of Corona

If you think this going to be a post on millennial dating in the time of lockdowns, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Often people forget that love can exist in many different forms beyond that in a romantic sense- love for your family and friends.

I recognize we're all in lockdown, and living in isolation. That's why it's more important than ever to reach out to friends and family members who don't live with you, and check on them to make sure they are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy.

It's an unprecedented situation for all of us. Besides the fear of contracting the virus itself, there are fears of a recession, of essential supplies running out, of losing jobs. Of being thrown into a Hunger Games like world amidst all the panic. I'm seeing a Darwinian world for the first time, and it unsettles me. As Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote in Love in the Time of Cholera, "she felt the abyss of disenchantment." I feel it now, in the time of Corona.

My feeling of disappointment and frustration heightened when I spoke to a friend of mine, a medical professional, who described to me how undersupplied the hospitals are. Front line workers don't have access to enough masks and sanitizers. If our doctors and nurses fall sick, who will heal us? I knew from the news that medical systems worldwide are not equipped to handle a pandemic of this scale, but it got very real and scary for me when my friend is trying to save lives at a great risk to her own. I am incredibly proud of her but I am terrified too.

Speaking to her gave me a sense of perspective. I am ashamed to admit that all my concerns up to this point were so petty- about work or household chores. I was even more ashamed when I realised I wasn't contributing in any way to help.

I kept reading in the news about major corporations and celebrities giving away large sums of money to support the fight against Coronavirus, but I realised that all gestures of support need not be as grand. We can all do what is within our capacity.

My sister and brother-in-law have a packaged drinking water plant, where they manufacture Bleau. What my brother-in-law has now done is to manufacture bottles for sanitizers rather than water, and these bottles are sent to the West Bengal government, which fills them up with sanitizers and distributes them to hospitals. What is interesting is that the government has mobilised women's self help groups (SHGs) in smaller cities and villages to produce sanitizer for local hospitals. I am so proud of him for being a part of this initiative.

I'm not a Tata or an Akshay Kumar or even my brother-in-law or my friend who is saving lives. But I can do little things, like contributing to the relief fund. The Central Reserve of Police Force has contributed one day's salary each, bringing the total contribution to roughly Rs. 34 crore. Imagine if we all contributed one day's salary.

But contributing to a fund isn't the only thing I can do. I can call up friends and family to check on them, and help remove that feeling of isolation and disconnect. Stop panic buying, because people who actually need masks and sanitizers, like medical professionals, aren't getting them, and we will all suffer in the end for that. At the rate the virus is spreading and people are dying, I quail at the thought of someone I love getting affected. What terrifies me more is the idea that no one might be around to help them, because those who could have helped have themselves contracted the virus, because we were selfish and engaged in panic buying.

I think the greatest expression of love today would be to stand by those doctors and nurses and medical professionals who take care of you and your loved ones. To those who bravely go out there and ensure essential supplies and services continue without disruption. Be sensible and stay indoors. Don't panic buy. Contribute and help in any way you can.

Whatever I just said sounds boring and is oft heard. I could argue it's our duty to do all of these things. But, like Albert Einstein said, "love is a better teacher than duty." That's why I say, don't do all these things because it's your duty. Do it because you love your family and friends.