Lockdown 5.0 or as everyone else is calling it Unlockdown 1.0 is upon us, with the government easing up few rules and regulations to restart the economy. Over the next couple of weeks, a cyclonic storm, followed by the monsoon, is going to severely test Mumbai. Mumbai is not an easy city. Not with its unique geography at least. These are indeed trying times but as they say every dark cloud has a silver lining.
The last 70 days ++ , COVID 19 has thrown up some unexpected and pleasant surprises to everyone. The extended lockdown though has done one major thing, it has brought families together. Grandparents, the ever busy couples and children are spending time together and getting to really know each other more than ever. COVID 19 kind of forced everyone to spend time as a close knit family. Right from sharing news updates, to planning meals together to sharing daily chores to coming up with innovative games to keep the family involved, to celebrating online birthday bashes took prominence in daily lives to listening to old classics together. On hindsight, this phase made us live simpler days yet again which were lost.
Everyone is learning new things, or trying things which they always wanted to but couldn’t due to lack of time. We saw Grandparents 2.0 with grandchildren giving online tutorials to them on new found craze Zoom.
While our hearts had warmed up to Corona and adjusting to the new normal, it’s time to show preparedness for severe cyclonic storm, Nisarga. IMD says it will affect the coastal districts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Gujarat and other neighbouring states. The Mumbai Police on Wednesday imposed Section 144 in the city from midnight to Thursday afternoon. People have been banned from visiting places like beaches, parks and promenades, which anyways was prohibited since 3 months.
But, we shall survive this too. Spirit of Mumbai will not be washed away. It is a city where monsoon kisses the lanes and bylanes and offices and homes and railway tracks every year with full force, in an effort to throw Mumbai’s life out of gear.
And yet, Mumbai thrives. Not just survives, but thrives. The rush of adrenalin in its visible and invisible veins is always too strong. We shall sustain!
Like Aamir Khan once taught us bolo, “Aal izz Well”. We completely resonate these feelings because of several reasons around us this testing time and forever. Bolo, Aal Izz Well!
(These musings for MindChow are authored by Amod Desai, Senior Perception Manager at Ashwini Publicity. Amod has a decade of experience in PR & Media Communications. A voracious reader, Amod is a foodie at heart! )
