{This is the second post of the series where I will be writing 26 Letters to my Grandchildren about life during these tricky times for us and what we are learning. Letter1 can be found here}
2ndApril 2020
Hello, again my child
Granny sends your way tonnes of blessings and love. I don’t know how you look or if you are a boy or a girl but I can still see you smiling at me and need I say there can be no greater feeling than to visualize holding your grandchild even if it is only in my thoughts as of now. Do you look like your mom or your dad? Either way, you are priceless to us, I hope I shall hold you in my hands someday and maybe handover these letters too to you, my little joy.
So I continue telling you about our battle in Coronavirus times. We were in Delhi at our home when the news of the increase in the COVID-19 cases came, it was March second week. We have an office on the ground floor and we live on the upper floor. Unfortunately, one of our office staff who has just returned from her sister’s marriage contracted high fever and cold and we had to shut down our Delhi office as a precautionary measure. Since your grandpa has his main office in Vadodara he decided to operate from there to keep the business running. As taking a flight was not an option, he did not want to leave behind me and your dad either so he tucked us along and we undertook the longest road trip of our lives.
The traveler in me was appeased for three reasons. One I have never been to the state of Gujarat before, second I won’t leave your grandpa alone in these times and third, my only brother lived in Ahmedabad and I will get to meet him. So we started with a few sets of clothes and drove straight 1000 plus kilometers and reached Vadodara after meeting my brother on the way in roughly 15-16 hours. Never did the thought that we are commencing a new battle, struck us. A battle one of it’s kind!
In Vadodara, we are staying at one of our company homes which belonged to your grandpa’s business partner who lives abroad. Without wasting any time your smart granny has quickly sprung into action and checked and bought all the groceries and utensils she needed for a week of stay. As your grandpa went to the office I taught your dad and was enjoying my peaceful stay amidst wonderful strangers who always reciprocated to my smile in the humblest way. Gujjus are such lovely souls, they have always had my heart any which day.
But alas on our fifth day here, came a special address from the prime minister and danger of getting stranded here loomed on us. We decided to go back quickly after the #JantaCurfew on 22nd March but before we could there came a 21 Days Complete Lockdown declaration post multiplication of the #coronavirus cases on an everyday basis.
We were trapped in Vadodara with absolutely no idea where to get even our bare essentials and things looked really difficult for us, dear, till last week. Some times I had no milk as the Milk Shop some 200 yards away from where I picked it every morn is shut, some times no vegetables either, forget about fruits, my meagre ration was also exhausting. So last 7 days I had spent mostly standing on my terrace and making arrangements as much as I can so that your dad, grandpa and I survive somehow.
I spotted a milkman coming at 5 a.m. on a bike who now gives us milk. I could arrange for some veggies now too that is on the eighth day of the lockdown. Your grandpa too after recklessly trying 24X7, to place an order for groceries on Bigbasket have finally got a slot of delivery for 5th April and hopefully we will get some stuff that we have ordered if not all on our list as we believe we still have to live here.
While everything including the water purifier or the Digital Settopbox for TV starting to malfunction and neighbors questioning our sudden emergence on the scene, times are indeed testing but we are holding on to a positive note. There are millions of others in India who are not even managing these. Tomorrow I want to write to you about what’s happening with the poor, to the daily wagers and to very small businessmen.
The situation is heart-wrenching and all we can do is send an earnest prayer to the heavens above to rid the world of this terrible virus at the earliest and bring our life to normal please, pretty please! I have a strong belief that by the time I shall be writing my last few letters to you, your grandpa, dad and I shall be back to our home in Delhi safe and sound and when you desire something that strongly, the universe conspires to grant your wish 😊.
Sending your way deep love
Your Granny
Roma
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Hi Everyone, thanks for dropping by, this is my fifth consecutive #BlogchatterA2Z as well as global #AtoZchallenge and this year I will be writing ‘26 letters to my grandaughter’ with a special purpose which shall unfold as you read this series. In case you wish to check out what I wrote in the previous 4 challenges here are the links 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
If you like what I write, you can grab the copies of my four published ebooks here: The Fragrance of True Love, Destiny's Favorite Child, Dare to Defy The Destiny and Empowered Women Empower Women
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