The Other side of Corona effect!

Beep! Beep!
Asha sprang up with the WhatsApp alert! She glanced at the alarm clock, which was lying lazily in the bed side table, because of the lockdown for couple of days.

It’s 8:30 AM.  Tridip was still snoring.

Beep! Beep!

Another alert. She casually looked at the screen…150 updates! It would take some time to read all these messages. So, she thought of looking at the score* first.

2027 positive cases in India, 180 recovered, 55 deaths….

It’s going from alarming to scary with each passing day! 

She lite up the stove to make two cups of red tea with ginger and cinnamon. Went to the balcony to see if there any leaf left in the Tulsi plant. Her mom had been insisting her to drink tea, boiling ginger, cinnamon and Tulsi leaves together. Some panditji opined that warm water with this trio can keep corona away.

Oops, no leaf left. She quickly watered the plant, taking a mug of water from the wash basin in the balcony. Birds’ chirping was so clear…. Many new birds were visiting the nearby park these days. Infact, in two previous day calls, her colleagues were enquiring how the sound of the birds could be so prominent.

Asha took the cups of tea to the bedroom, wake up Tridip to have the morning tea together.

He quickly got up and sat next to her in the cozy chair.

“Numbers are soaring…” Asha started the conversation, opening the WhatsApp.

“You know, someone in our society stole 408’s milk and curd packets….long discussion going on this, in our Ladies group. How can someone do that! Disgusting!!!”

“Is it? Really? Lockdown is there, but people can go to this low level, even in this kinda affluent society! Embarrassing! Strict actions should be taken against these guys. ”  

“Stringent action should be taken against this kind of people..” Asha quickly wrote in the group to join the conversation.

Tridip got up now, to do his routine work. First, he needed to put the waste in the dustbin outside, then he would broom the house.

He opened the door.

“Whaah!!!! One milk and one curd packets are lying here. I didn’t order.”  He rushed inside like a frightened mouse.

He quickly opened his WhatsApp, started looking at the men’s group of his residential complex.

Discussions around the missing milk and curd packets were taking precedence in the WhatsApp group since morning. Phase I of investigation was almost to start.

Now, writing a line in the group about finding this missing stuff became an uphill task for Tridip…..because their flat number is 308. The delivery boy mistakenly kept in front of their apartment, instead of 408.

*Using the word ‘Score’ casually, not to hurt anyone’s sentiment.