COVID-19: Lockdown is an opportunity to learn and introspect, says Ramesh Aravind

By Ramesh Aravind

My wife Archana, daughter Niharika and I have had all three meals together for the last eight days! Until the lockdown was announced, we functioned in our own orbit, managing only to eat dinner together. Suddenly, the coronavirus has thrown all of us together; only my poor son Arjun is abroad, studying.

With maids and staff on paid leave, I having been helping out in family chores like doing the laundry and folding clothes neatly. I realise how tough it is for the woman in the house to handle the domestic workload alone.

These days, all of us watch web series or movies of all languages, sitting together.

There are plans for a sequel to my movie 'Shivaji Surathkal'. I speak with the director Akash over the phone about the planned movie's story and structure. Apart from writing new film scripts, I am dabbling in several things, just to keep myself occupied. I go on YouTube, watching videos I have never checked before, try new workout routines and learn about science and technology, pop culture or some fun stuff.

I am listening to songs which swept me off my feet when I was in school.

I never understood accounting terms like a ledger, voucher, reconciliation, which irritated me. Now I have downloaded Tally and am trying to make a sense of it.

I feel the locality around me is silent, like never before. There are birds chirping the whole time. I have never heard so many birds sound in all these years. With the silence and leisurely pace of the day, I feel more relaxed and connected to myself. I have been introspecting about what to do once the lockdown period is over.

This is how I see lockdown:

Our everyday job, like the mythical demon Bakasura, swallows 12 waking hours of our day.

When home quarantined for 21 days, we suddenly have 252 extra hours in our life - an opportunity we may never get again in our lifetime. So the best way to approach this lockdown is to look at this as an opportunity to strengthen relationships at home, satisfy our latent curiosity, learn new things and introspect.

My father-in-law used to say "When you have to do something under compulsion, do it gracefully”.

So, here is our chance to gracefully grow, learn and connect.

(Ramesh Aravind is an actor and thinker)