MY HAPPY PLACE

In my eyes, time was this almighty god… who owns the world hence, us humans are
powerless because it is time who decides if we should be happy or sad. At times, there are
pleasant memories and then there are ones like this Pandemic of 2020. Although, I won’t call
this period all bad because it gave me things which I wouldn’t have perceived otherwise.
However, it took much more from me than it ever gave in return which well indeed is bad.

A few months back…

My eyes were glued to the computer screen in front of me as my stiff and tired hands were
printing the blue vibrant ink onto the paper. Since the strike of this pandemic, my family and I
have become close and it is wholesome. But on the other hand, lives haven’t been easy for
all of us, especially for a student. Assignments kept throwing themselves at me all day, I
started working even during the weekends, parents required help in household chores, I had
no friends, no socials but I did have things like eye strains, headaches, fitness issues,
network issues… And unfortunately, the list goes on… so I called this nothing less than hell.
But who knew that the better days were not that far…

A week later…

I was absorbed in my work as I heard mum’s phone ring, but I couldn’t care less about it
because this was nothing new. Every day in the evening, my mom’s best friend would call
her, and they would talk for hours and hours. But today, something was different because
shockingly, I saw my mom get off her phone quite quickly and well she was beaming,
wearing the kind of smile that seemed to radiate true happiness and damn I instantly
wondered why that happened.

Shutting my book in haste, I scuttled my way to her, and she told me the greatest news I had
gotten in these past months sitting at home. I was brought back to life by hearing that we
were going to celebrate New year’s night at our farmhouse well because this one did not
involve me being here, in a rotten state.

I would be lying if I had said that I wasn’t excitedly nervous because my heart did skip a
beat. Number of thoughts ran like a roller coaster in my mind like…How is my lily? Is she
healthy? Does she miss me? Lily. My love… is my pet ostrich who grew up in my farm and
well she adores me.

Apart from the thrill rushing in through my veins, I recalled that I’ll have to wear a mask in
order to stay safe during these times… Ugh, I had a scornful gesture within seconds, but I
did not care because I wanted to get out of this hell hole… Even if I had to wear a stupid
blue surgical mask in which I look hideous and gruesome because duh, anything’s better
than being around the same four white walls for the past 9 months, hearing the same
people, seeing the same things, I felt like an object… well with a heartbeat so still, right?

A week later...

I couldn’t believe that today was the day I would get my freedom, my happiness, my social
life... all back. This all felt so right, and my soul was on cloud 9. While I was packing, I
imagined all sorts of new things I would see because it had been a while since I had seen
the outside world and its vibrant colours… but I did not forget that before the bright rainbow, I
might even get some harsh rain… but I was ready for it… I ready to take it, just to see that
small beam of light after what felt like years.
As I stepped out, there was a whirl of pollution in the misty sunlight, the same rays I hadn’t
been exposed to since months. I felt something, maybe the feeling of being alive and free
because I wasn’t caged anymore… like a prisoner. In the fresh air, my lungs expanded as if
on reflex and with the upper movement of my ribs came a sensation of tranquillity and
serenity. As I took in the image of the sun gradually rising in, the birds in the sky flying and
moving in synchronization. This all felt like a painting painted by a perfectionist… an artist to
my blue crystal-like eyes. And I loved it all because I was at MY HAPPY PLACE So, I
decided to take all this goodness in with me because when the good times drift away, I’ll
feed onto these same memories.