Numb!

Countless voices surround,
But I can’t hear a sound!
A thousand faces alit with glee,
But the eyes, they cannot see…
The faces smile, the hands…they touch,
But senses betray… feel nothing as such.
The mind wanders into a distant terrain,
The heart follows the head into the lonely lane.
Someone, please pull me out of this abyss…
And infuse life into me that’s gone amiss!

Then... and Now!

Some time ago, several news channels in the country flashed the so-called breaking news: “First case of Swine Flu confirmed in India”. The news went largely unnoticed as no one cared to attach much importance to it. However, this did not go down well with the H1N1 virus and it decided to stay put. It was determined to garner the attention it so deserved. And so, the news channels continued to flash the ever increasing numbers of the piteous victims.

At college, the director was flooded with calls from anxious parents. What was the college doing? Were the students safe? And it wasn’t long before the students caught the fever too (not literally though!). A meeting with the concerned college authority was convened and the students requested for the premises to be shut down. Of course, it was met with refusal. The students’ concern was genuine and even before we knew it, we were wearing “masks”. They seemed to be our sole saviors. No one dared to venture out into the city, lest they would unknowingly befriend and play eventual hosts to the dreaded enemy! The mavericks, who did dare to do the unthinkable, on their return to the campus, were looked at suspiciously. Even a gentle sneeze raised a storm! The fever was catching up! The state govt. decided to come to the rescue of the hapless students. College was declared closed for a week which was further extended by a week.

A month later, students have returned to the campus (sans all the paraphernalia – the masks, sanitisers etc). The news channels still continue to flash the ever increasing numbers of the ill fated. But surprisingly, the picture on the campus has changed remarkably! The sneezing and sick students do not as much as attract a second look. It’s time to write an obituary for our ‘once upon a time’ sole saviors – the masks! If you confine yourself to boundaries of the campus, you are a bore!

I wonder with amazement at the speed at which the picture has changed! From “Mujhe bhi hai kya?” to “Mujhe nahi hoga”. My only concern – ‘How will H1N1 react to this? Will it just walk away to capture another terrain or will it strike back with a lot more might?’