2020 - Lockdown, Realisation & home renovation
The year again started with February completely packed with marriages every Sunday. Four folks from my college group “Yaar Anmulle” were getting married in short.
2020 lockdown
I wasn’t too concerned at the start of the year, but it was becoming more serious as we approached March. On the eve of my birthday, I was working from home, and on March 12th, Flipkart asked everyone to work from home for the remainder of the week.
It began with a two-week period, followed by rules for the next three months, and after the three months, it had been extended until the end of 2020.
Many good and bad things happened during the lockdown, but I cherished every minute of it.
Starting 2 weeks of WFH
work. I was working as usual and then went about my after-work routine. The only difference was that no commute was required, which was the best part. I was having a good time. Other corporations were not as proactive as FK.
The 1st phase of the lockdown
Work from home with all the things to enjoy.
The government imposed a lockdown on March 23rd, which meant that only critical commodities would be available from then on. We had not anticipated this and were unable to stock several of our essential items. odd… But I did make one decent decision, acquiring a PS4 gaming console on March 21st, and Gagan ordered an extra console the same day. I was fortunate that it arrived on the 23rd, as all deliveries were prohibited. It was game time!
Gaming
We had finished the stock that we were confident we would be able to keep for the following few weeks, but we were still excited about the game system. I obtained an old FIFA 2018 CD from an ex-colleague, which we played but did not particularly appreciate. Gagan only plays one game, FIFA, and he got the latest digital version.
FIFA marked the beginning of an epic struggle that lasted the duration of the lockdown, and we are still playing it the same manner today. Gagan is a Fifa pro, and I’ve been known to beat him dry on occasion. It’s one of the most engrossing games I’ve ever played, but I used to only play it when Gagan was around. We played it for nearly 2-3 hours every day at first, and gradually reduced it to a best of three whenever we played.
I played the other games when Gagan wasn’t around and finished two good storyline games in two months, including LOU-1 and GTA-5. I was playing for more than 6 hours every day on average.
Highest productivity
My productivity was at an all-time high, and I was continually creating good after good. I was spending my spare time creating a Visual Regression tool for FK, which was applauded by everyone in a virtual town hall and fetched me a Gift card - all for working at my peak productivity, reducing reliance on manual testing, and creating a niche product - Actually, I could have improved it by writing documentation about the code.
Cooking
I tried a variety of prebaked packaged foods before attempting to knead the dough and prepare fresh chapatis for myself. The dough component was simple, but the difficult part was flattening the ball of dough while keeping its shape so that it would bake evenly on the Tawa.
I would cook once a day and eat intermittently for the remaining 24 hours. There was no set start or end time for office meetings because we met online whenever it was convenient for someone, and there was no set timetable. Cooking and working were not options for me during a pandemic.
My mother claimed that I was starving myself, but this was not the truth; I had just switched to a more carnivorous and unhealthy diet that comprised lentils, chicken and mutton meals with rice or bread. I used to make a pot of Khichdi and eat it anytime I was hungry. For the record, I only struggle with baking chapatis but prepare extremely tasty Indian curries.
Navdesh (Gagan’s better half) came to the rescue; she is an excellent cook. One of my favorite dishes is her Dal-Makhni. We cooked together on several occasions, such as Aloo-stuffed Bread Pakoras, and would frequently prepare snacks for starters and curries for dinner. We were in charge of food, while Gagan was in charge of keeping us and the food things clean. He was in charge of the utensil cleaning. This was a wonderful period for us as a Trio.
Whisky hunt
My level of sobriety was at an all-time high by this point. I was scrambling to locate anything within my budget range. Since booze businesses were closed, those with surplus supplies sold to the highest bidder. At a tenfold markup, a quarter bottle of whisky was on offer.
I asked an old friend of my brother-in-law for a bottle of whisky that would quench my eternal need for just one day, and then I went on the hunt again until I found a bottle that was about halfway full. May God bless those who helped me. It gave me some time, but not much, until the first week of May, when the prohibition on liquor stores was repealed. It was, after all, necessary.
At 7 a.m., when the liquor stores finally opened, I joined the queue and bought enough alcohol to last me two months. Unfortunately, it didn’t even last that long.
Realization
For the first time in my adult life, I spent time alone thinking about nothing but how wonderful it is that everyone I care about is well and happy. My job is thriving thanks to my years spent in the corporate rat race, and it will continue to improve as time goes on, but I can’t help but wonder: what have I missed?
The only way to combat this growing anxiety was to make video and audio calls to all my family and friends, as I had no other options on the weekends.
During lockdown, I realized how few people truly cared to me: immediate family and excellent friends. They inquired about me, and I also contacted them specifically.
Trio
Often Gagan, Navdesh and I enjoyed our evenings sitting on their rooftop and chatting about any random topic and it is because of them that I did not feel left alone during the lockdown. They supported me during a phase when a random 4 AM call from the past ruined my state of mind.
Still renting
Since the WFH was still in effect for everyone as of late June, and was officially extended by FK until the end of September, we decided to fly home. I continued to pay the (now much lower) rent on the Bengaluru apartment I am renting.
Although I could have simply put my belongings in storage like Gagan did, I decided against doing so since I did not want to have to go through the hassle of finding a new house when I returned at the end of the year.
I said my goodbyes to Anuj, locked the house, and handed over the keys; a buddy took my car; and I was off from Bengaluru.
2nd Phase of the lockdown
Working from real home and all my people around me.
Going Home
It is a blessing to be earning handsomely, working for a top-notch company, living in your hometown with your loved ones and having all this at once.
My room was set up with the standards for self-isolation, and it went quickly. My grandparents, parents, and sister were all relieved to have me with them during the pandemic, but I worried that I wouldn’t have the same freedom as I did in Bengaluru, and I was mistaken.
New Normal
Mummy was stringent about eating non-vegetarian meals and drinking alcohol at home. Previously, when I was at home, my father, sister, and I ate non-vegetarian meals outside of our home, but this changed during the pandemic. Mummy allowed us to order food, but we are still not allowed to cook. It is a MAJOR CHANGE in our home, as the world can turn upside down but not my mother’s basics. We still eat at the common table, but we cannot bring contraband into the kitchen, and dirty plates are not washed in the kitchen; we wash them separately and then place them in the kitchen sink to be washed again before they can be used again. It’s a new normal for us, and we’re grateful that she tried it.
Big things come in small packages
Yes, I’m referring to my sister, who is equally lively and kept the positive feelings going. She was my designated driver when I was drunk, she went cycling with me every evening, she was my gym companion, my munching partner, my skin therapy buddy, and in short, we did everything together. I was not present when she was growing up; she was in high school when I moved to Hyderabad, and I did not have much time to spend with her on my brief visits, so this is a long-awaited reunion.
Every other weekend, Jonty (no small package) would come over to spend quality time with us.
The routine
My parents have always been early risers; Mummy used to get up extremely early and cook breakfast while my dad helped us get ready. Papa retired in 2019, and Mummy was set to retire in December, so she was doing her regular schoolwork throughout the lockdown.
I used to get up about 7 a.m. and perform a light workout in a home gym that Jonty had assisted me in setting up. It was time to tidy up and go down for breakfast after drinking juice made by Papa every morning.
I’d get back to work after breakfast. Summers are very hot up north, unlike Bengaluru, and I would keep the air conditioner running, which was also a new standard for me because I had not been home in these temperature conditions in the previous 6 years, and my office laptop was a hot cranky machine that was difficult to work on without some type of cooling.
Mummy would call me every day at 4 p.m. because it was tea time. If I am unable to make it down, the tea will be served to my desk. Oh my goodness, I am grateful!
As BBD approached, the work became more intense, and because it was the first of its sort during the WFH era, everyone was struggling, and there were no boundaries between work and personal time. When I couldn’t see my parents for 48 hours, they became concerned and came to see if everything was well. Life was usually easy after BBD.
My sister and I would go cycling after work and stop for kebabs on our way home. We started with little travels, but when I had more time following BBD, we began traveling on longer adventures on a regular basis.
Good old friends
What a blessing that Karanvinder, Lovish and Harhsil(on/off) were all there in Panchkula?
Friday Ritual
Our parents had allowed us to have fun at home, which meant that instead of going out and hunting for decent locations or doing a car-o-bar, we could sit at home and do our thing. I can’t thank our parents enough for understanding and opening it up for us. It was safe and delightful since, rather than paying for expensive drinks at a bar, we could enjoy a good single malt with a home-cooked snack.
Both of our parents were aware that we did not drink every day, but it was agreed that every Friday at 8 p.m., I would be at Lovish’s house with a bottle of fine whisky. Everyone in our families had conditioned their minds to accept this arrangement. It would begin with new Punjabi songs, his father would join us for a drink and snacks, the songs would gradually progress to slow songs, and by the end of the night, it would be time for classical Qawalis. We have similar tastes in music, whisky, and food.
When Harshil came home in the winter, we would go out to a nearby restaurant.
Sector 8 food street
Karanvinder and I would always wind up in Sector 8, Chandigarh’s food lane, no matter where we went. It has some of the best and oldest fast food places. This place has a peculiar vibe; many come here only to drive past in their flashy automobiles. It is not a route to anyplace, but it is a route to everywhere - it is a Chandigarh gedi route.
We’ve been looking for places to eat since we were kids, and Karanvinder’s family used to manage one of the greatest non-veg food businesses when we were kids, so he has the idea. Imagine going to a Tavern while we were still in school, but solely to eat Chilly Chicken.
His mother makes great chicken curries, and I used to go to his house on a daily basis to eat them.
Home Renovation
My parents both wanted to renovate our house, mama wanted inside modifications and papa wanted outdoor ones.
First, my mother and I replaced our ten-year-old dining table, then we sold my sister’s scooter, and last, we purchased cabinets for my grandparents.
We didn’t stop there; we also changed the extra lights in our rooms, but we got bored of making tiny modifications, so we completely remodeled the entire house. We demolished every internal wall - some fully, some partially - to make room for new entrances and ideas. All of this occurred while we were still living in the same house.
We were in the midst of another partial lockdown and hard winters during the restoration. We thought that if a complete lockdown was imposed, we’d be sitting in a run-down house with little shelter from the cold, but we made it.
We extensively renovated our home, both inside and out, and now everyone has a dedicated room and organized space for their belongings. My mother has a large open kitchen, Papa has a large porch space where he can park his car, and my sister has a room with an almirah.
It all started with mummy saying she doesn’t need a retirement gift but wants to renovate the kitchen, and now we have a completely renovated home.
Retirement After 28 years in the classroom, Mummy was retiring. My mother was pleased with how my sister’s speech during her retirement ceremony went. On the walk back to her home, she was accompanied by her staff, which is unheard of on our side of the trade; this made me glad. Everyone in the family was here to greet her. Wow!
Our family’s success has been a direct result of Mom’s efforts. My parents made the sacrifice for my sister and me to attend modern, English-medium schools. Because of them, I’ve been able to achieve a lot.
Who am i?
- Happy in life
- Parents can count on me
- Happy to back at home
- Can afford a home renovation
- My team can count on me