Recalling First Few Days of Returning to Work [April 2022]

Returning to work has been a somewhat unexpected journey for the last 3 months, and it continues to be a bit disruptive, and a bit of relief at the same time. The first week in the more-than-familiar office cabin was slightly suffocating. The COVID wave hadn't subsided when we were called back, and there was every reason to feel apprehensive. With just the senior managers and the upper hierarchy called in, the team, people who contribute to the dense headcount at our office was nowhere to be seen.

Just to share some insight about my personal struggles to keep wearing the mask, I have been claustrophobic since I was around 17, and I have been on & off anxiety medications for more than a decade. Being grounded at home due to the pandemic, having just become a father to a baby girl, also took a toll in some way though, at many levels, I am also thankful for giving me the opportunity to be there when the little monkey was gifted to us.

A really bad attempt at rhyming during the Pandemic...

2021: when birthdays aren’t ‘Less’ than any reason to celebrate!

The emptiness outside screamed at us, but it was voiceless,

Lives that have been turned upside down, seem countless.

The perennial worriers are learning how to be fearless,

Life-from-home helped those reconnect who were faithless.

Masked people still try to look good despite being rendered faceless,

Keeping distances nurtured human connections but they were nameless.

As death came knocking in our neighborhood, the circus of life seemed pointless,

The poorest among us were those without friends and not those who were penniless.

While we try to forget what has happened during this time, finding ways not to get restless,

The lessons learned and the memories created will forever remain priceless.

Things I can say with surety about these 'Perpetual Borrowers'....winners and sinners at the same time.

Ready to adapt: this couple didn't seek the most comfortable environment for raising a family. They were ready to use whatever little space was available. And this plot of nesting land, too did came with plenty of distractions and lots of intrusions. However, their family has settled in rather well. They ensured picking a spot that provided comprehensive coverage against the sun and rain. What seems like a combination of living room and bedroom, their one-room accommodation comes sans any pretensions. They think that the iron pipe in the background is their idea of home decor, and the ugly remains of a shoddy cement job, once done, represent the landscaping. Overall, if this were a home-to-rent deal, nobody would have bought it. But like true borrowers, this couple overlooked all the possibly not-so-great things and chose to set up their nesting headquarters amid the ugliness.

Unaffected by Corona: while there is mayhem around us, with being constantly updated about the number of folks infected, recovered, and a lot more permutations in the mix, this couple has no qualms about hopping around, without any mask, without any sense of apprehension about what is happening to the world. It seems this avian family member has its priorities set absolutely right. Its nesting space is a picture of peace amid the pandemic chaos. The routine is equally simple. Play watch-guard, gather food, take food to the young ones, and take turns to ensure no unwanted access is granted.

Borrowing is not that bad: my childhood was rich with constant reminders about becoming self-sufficient and reliant but here I have tenants who don't pay, don't give a damn about occupying a piece of property that isn't leased or rented to them, and borrow at will. The bread crumbs seem like breakfast. The small droplets of water seem to quench their thirst. The balcony corridor is the perfect arena for vent-out fights. The small twigs of my balcony garden are the arsenal to build up the nesting space. My borrowers have no sense of shame about it. They will visit the last site of borrowing crimes until they have borrowed more than what is needed. In the process, they have managed to lay to waste a couple of our planters and have beaten the life out of some overgrown aloe vera branches. Borrowers by intent? Very much, without remorse, with utmost clarity. And yes, they have found a voluntary feeding hand with my wife often throwing chips of leftover rotis - not sure how that is helping the cause of not letting these squatters get more habitual about transgressing our property!

Cleanliness is a perimeter thing: one thing I have learned about the pigeon lifestyle is that they can really heap on the crap, the real thing, but they keep it away from their headquarters. While our homes, roofs, window coverings, and balcony fences need to be regularly cleaned to get rid of this constant supply of pigeon shit, the perimeter around their unlawful nesting area is spotless. There are no drying or moist grey & white specks. The plan seems pretty clear - let us live clean individually and smuggle out our mess to the rest of the world.