Since I was asymptomatic, I was asked to quarantine at home for two weeks. I locked myself in the bedroom, while my wife – we had got married just three months ago – stayed in the living room.

By a self-confessed workaholic

I have always thought of myself as a fit person with good immunity. I never miss my workouts – even when I’m travelling for work. There was no reason for me to be worried about COVID-19 – or so I thought!
May 2020 proved me wrong. I tested positive for COVID-19 soon after a colleague lost a family member to the deadly viral infection. At first, I thought there was some misunderstanding as I had no fever or any symptoms. However, the results were definite.

Since I was asymptomatic, I was asked to quarantine at home for two weeks. I locked myself in the bedroom, while my wife – we had got married just three months ago – stayed in the living room. She would leave my tea and food outside the bedroom door; I would sanitise the common bathroom after every use.

By the third day, I was distraught. I was losing my sense of smell and the fatigue was alarming – just getting out of bed was exhausting. I could barely sit up or walk to the bathroom. To make matters worse, my parents in Nagpur were struggling with their chronic health issues amidst the challenges posed by the lockdown. Never in my life had I felt so helpless!

In retrospect, I can only imagine how difficult the experience must have been for my wife. She was in a new city, with a man she barely knew! We had an arranged marriage, after meeting twice in person and a few dozen times online. Right after the wedding, a new project had come up at work and I had to travel quite a bit. I was too busy to make time for our honeymoon!

I distinctly recall one particular day when I had neither the appetite nor the inclination to eat anything. She sat outside the locked bedroom door and read out loud beautiful Hindi poems I had never heard before! They were poems about hope and love, dark todays and bright tomorrows…

We set a daily reading ritual, wherein she read me something she liked (usually in Hindi) and then, I did the same (usually in English) for her. It led to many memorable conversations and reflections, giving us a unique opportunity to get to know each other.

In the five years that I’ve been living in Bengaluru, I had made little effort to know my neighbours. Yet most families in our apartment complex were ever-willing to help my wife with essential purchases or logistic issues. Their kindness and empathy really took me by surprise.

As someone who is goal-oriented and ambitious, I am used to living life in the fast lane. COVID-19 forced me to stop and reassess my priorities. The last three months have been a great learning experience in terms of living life at a slower pace.

I’m gradually getting back to fitness and work has never been more exciting. But there’s more to life now. Whether it’s learning to cook my wife’s favourite poha or trying my hand at glass painting, I’m exploring so many new things! The pandemic has inspired me to be a better and happier version of myself.

As told to Jisha Krishnan.