The news of the spread of Corona was under slow pace. Many colleges in India and abroad were already planning to postpone the examination. It was the same as our University too. The doubt was in my mind whether I should start my preparation for exams or not. Nevertheless, I sat down with all my study materials, class notes and whatever I could have gathered to aid my preparation. Deep in my heart, I had the feeling that it would be my last examination of my college. The first exam was to start from 15 th of March (Monday) at 9 AM so I had to hurry up to cover my incomplete portion of the syllabus and at least revise twice before Monday. Our college has an annoying habit of notifying about the unpredicted change. It has happened many times that we have received official messages and emails at 8:58 am that classes starting at 9 am have been cancelled. This is so frustrating!
I received a mail regarding the postponement of the examination. It was rescheduled from 15 th of May tentatively but eventually, it was impossible to conduct. After reading this, I came out of my hostel room. I found the area was crowded with masked people. There was tension in the air as people were coming out with luggage and booking Ola/Uber or waiting for the buses to the airport. People moved as if they were running for their lives. The scorching heat of the sun, honking of vehicles added to my anxiety level. I rang a phone call to my mother and sister and explained the situation to them. They asked me to leave as soon as possible. I also called my mentor Miss Roshni, she pacified me and arranged for me to move to her friend and my local guardian Ms. Sandhya Santosh’s house.
I came to Sandhya Didi’s house on 20 th March. As I travelled in a cab, I could see many had covered their face and had shut down their shops. I felt relieved after finally arriving here. I brought some clothes, study materials and gadgets along with me. I regret not getting my Tabla. I assumed that this situation would end after a couple of days or at least return to its normalcy. I had recipes, dishes to be put into action. With my prior little experience in cooking, I started making snacks, different curries, some of which turned great and some into a disaster. I started to plan a great menu for dinner for the whole family. All were very supportive. My daily routine was to cook, eat and do daily house chores. Amidst all these, I felt the paucity of some element missing in my life and that was music. I requested Sanchit (Sandhya did’s son and my senior at College) to teach me guitar and he happily agreed. I started with basic chords and rhythm patterns. The days went on but the more I practised the guitar, the more I missed playing Tabla. After about two weeks with discontinuous practice, I stopped playing.
After all this, I can now proudly say that I am now a good cook. Last week, our Vice-Chancellor announced the Online End Semester Examination dates; hence I have started my preparations again.
– Saral Sinchuri