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2026- The sting of covid
Akira is very happy today. After five long years she will be traveling to her own country. She is thrilled to smell the fragrance of her village "Utthanpur". She waited for this day since a long time and finally she is all set to go. Covid has separated many families. Akira is also a victim of that. She stays in Sydney, Australia with her family. However, she used to visit her ancestral house once a year but, due to covid she preferred to stay at Australia.
Now, the world the free of covid. There's is no need to wear masks. She thought of taking some fresh air from her village. Moreover, she had a client meeting at New Delhi. After completing the meeting she thought of enjoying few days at Utthanpur, Uttarpradesh.
Finally the day arrived and her journey began all alone. After completing the meeting it almost became late in the afternoon. Akira decided to take rest at her ancestral house as it takes only an hour to reach the destination. She took a private taxi which reached her to the mainroad. She got down with her bag and the muddy road showed its way. The moonlight took the place of the street lights. She could smell mystic fragrance of wild flowers along with the familiar smell cow dung coming to her nose. She smiled and kept thinking about the good old days spent there. After sometime she reached at her home. She was very tired but was equally surprised to see nobody at the gate. She ate her dinner which she had bought from the airport and went to sleep.
After sometime the landline call disturbed her sleep. She woke up all of a sudden and thought that her family members might be calling her from Australia. When she picked up the call she heard a very faint and weak voice saying Abdul uncle is very ill and he needs oxygen. Please help! Until and unless Akira could realise whether it was a dream or not the connection was hanged up. Abdul uncle was her father's own brother but they had no communication with each other due to family disputes. She thought of helping her uncle. She went running at her uncle's house and she saw his uncle coughing a lot. He was sitting infront of the door and the door was closed. When Akira asked about her aunt and siblings. Her uncle told that they went to the village. Akira immediately called the hospital but nobody picked up the call. She could not find any transportation to go the hospital. She went running to the hospital to arrange something for his uncle. But, she saw a big lock at the hospital. There were spider webs and bats in the front door. She was shocked and surprised. Thinking for a while Akira went running to the police station which was on the main road. While walking she saw many known faces sitting below the trees coughing and asking for help. Small children were crying. She went to the police station and asked for help to arrange some vehicle for his uncle. The constable was shocked. He told them that all the people in this village have died due to covid four years back. Nobody stays there now. Akira was shaken a bit. She waited for the day light. She took all her belongings and immediately got shifted to a hotel at New Delhi. After returning to Australia she arranged funeral for all the people she knew in the village. She never went back again!!
-Sangita Chatterjee
© All Rights Reserved
Now, the world the free of covid. There's is no need to wear masks. She thought of taking some fresh air from her village. Moreover, she had a client meeting at New Delhi. After completing the meeting she thought of enjoying few days at Utthanpur, Uttarpradesh.
Finally the day arrived and her journey began all alone. After completing the meeting it almost became late in the afternoon. Akira decided to take rest at her ancestral house as it takes only an hour to reach the destination. She took a private taxi which reached her to the mainroad. She got down with her bag and the muddy road showed its way. The moonlight took the place of the street lights. She could smell mystic fragrance of wild flowers along with the familiar smell cow dung coming to her nose. She smiled and kept thinking about the good old days spent there. After sometime she reached at her home. She was very tired but was equally surprised to see nobody at the gate. She ate her dinner which she had bought from the airport and went to sleep.
After sometime the landline call disturbed her sleep. She woke up all of a sudden and thought that her family members might be calling her from Australia. When she picked up the call she heard a very faint and weak voice saying Abdul uncle is very ill and he needs oxygen. Please help! Until and unless Akira could realise whether it was a dream or not the connection was hanged up. Abdul uncle was her father's own brother but they had no communication with each other due to family disputes. She thought of helping her uncle. She went running at her uncle's house and she saw his uncle coughing a lot. He was sitting infront of the door and the door was closed. When Akira asked about her aunt and siblings. Her uncle told that they went to the village. Akira immediately called the hospital but nobody picked up the call. She could not find any transportation to go the hospital. She went running to the hospital to arrange something for his uncle. But, she saw a big lock at the hospital. There were spider webs and bats in the front door. She was shocked and surprised. Thinking for a while Akira went running to the police station which was on the main road. While walking she saw many known faces sitting below the trees coughing and asking for help. Small children were crying. She went to the police station and asked for help to arrange some vehicle for his uncle. The constable was shocked. He told them that all the people in this village have died due to covid four years back. Nobody stays there now. Akira was shaken a bit. She waited for the day light. She took all her belongings and immediately got shifted to a hotel at New Delhi. After returning to Australia she arranged funeral for all the people she knew in the village. She never went back again!!
-Sangita Chatterjee
© All Rights Reserved
