Meena was eight years old when the lockdown started. At first, it felt strange, staying at home all day, not going to school, and having to wash her hands five times a day (Because Ma insisted on it).
But, as time passed, she didn’t mind these changes. Soon, Dadi came to live with them. Ma and Appa both worked from home, so she could speak to (and disturb!) them any time of the day!
Ma would cook delicious meals for them every day. Some days it was classic paneer, and others, fancy meals of pasta and spaghetti.
As days passed, she slipped into the routine. By the time she woke up at eight in the morning, Ma had already laid out her clothes for the day. After Meena had finished bathing, a fancy breakfast would be waiting for her at the table. There, Ma, Dadi, and Appa would chat while Meena devoured her mouth-watering food.
By ten o’clock, Meena was sitting at the table with her tablet, ready to begin her day with online school! During this time, she would see Ma dusting and cleaning the house while Dadi watched television. Her school short-break was at eleven. By then, both her parents had gone to their makeshift studies and begun their office work.
So Meena would spend these breaks with Dadi. She would tell her about the latest happenings in her school. In turn, Dadi would tell Meena stories from when she was little, nearly five decades ago! Meena cherished those moments.
After school got over at one, Ma would serve the lunch she had prepared in the morning. Sometimes, Appa and she were unable to eat at the table due to office calls, so Meena and Dadi would eat together.
In the evening, Appa would come out of his study for a quick game of snakes and ladders with Meena and Dadi, which he somehow always won.
At night, after dinner, Ma would tell Meena about her day and ask her about school. Then, she would read Meena her favourite stories until she fell asleep.
Life was simple.
Then, one day, Ma fell sick. She had a fever and could not work that day. Dadi rushed to get medicines for Ma, and started looking after her.
Appa struggled to keep the household going. Ma was the central pillar of their household. Without her, everything was falling apart. That day, Meena picked out her own clothes.
Since Dadi was busy taking care of Ma, Appa had to cook. It was Maggi for breakfast, Maggi for lunch, and Maggi for dinner, for three days!
For those three days, there were no afternoon chai-breaks or snakes-and-ladders games. It was just one big blur of getting the essentials done.
The house remained dusty and dirty, and Meena would stay up past her bedtime waiting for dad to read her a bedtime story.
The following day, Anita Maasi came to visit.
She said, “Your father has done a commendable job beta! It is not easy to manage a household and a job at the same time! God bless him!”
Dadi laughed and proudly looked at her son, who was also smiling.
But Meena could not understand it.
“But Maasi, Ma does it every single day!”
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