End of The Covid Year

Today is the first weekend of the last month of the pandemic year. For time immemorial, people will remember 2020 as a year when a virus from China spread all across the world and brought a halt to many aspects of our lives. But I will remember it for the tiniest hope that came sparked, about going home, meeting parents, securing future income, getting married and of course expecting a gazillion kids being born with couples who extra-enjoyed the lockdowns! I soo want to elaborate about all of my thoughts at the same time, but let us just try to go over them one by one.

Going Home

I can’t be happier than feeling good about a bunch of vaccines that are in the pipeline for government approval for wide use across India and SG. I feel that by the end of the first quarter of 2021, I will be travelling to Patna and meet my parents and sisters. I can only imagine what all the covid warriors have gone through, inc the vaccine developers, doctors and all the medical staff. I hope the last leg of covid preparedness (i.e. vaccine delivery) goes well and there are no vaccine side effects or diseases henceforth. I hope to see the days of free travel to return soon, fingers crossed! I have never been away from home for so long and now even the homecoming thought needs extra motivation.

Meeting Parents

I feel so thankful that my parents are healthy and doing well even amidst all the lockdowns and desires of meeting relatives. They have had a tough life behind and I pray that everything goes smoothly from here onwards. Almost like a Bollywood movie ending! I have never not-met my parents for so much time, it feels like I almost forgot the taste of my mom’s homecooked dinner and my father’s looks.

Securing Future Income

2020 started with a promotion at Facebook SG for me and not just any other promotion, but the one with 50% bump in the basic paycheck. So, I felt a reduced burden of income and money pressure. I finally started investing in futuristic stocks and immovable properties. I see several people opening up new avenues of income for them, same goes for me. This year has finally made me take baby steps towards financial independence.

Getting Married / Producing Kids

I have so many virtual posts of marriages in this year, that maybe it qualifies as most marriages in an year. It came with no surprise given my parents are also pressuring me to marry, or else they say, it will be too late, sigh! Apparently, there has been a feeling of marry me off now or never among my relatives. Laughingly, I also heard about pregnancy from a gazillion of couples! Lockdowns and homestay must have been enjoyable to couples. Everyone in my family and friends brings up the topic of marriages/kids atleast once in each discussion. I never thought the world would be so much wanting me to get into a formal relationship. It feels very cringy at times.

Stay positive, stay healthy! - Vishwaraj Anand

Life Goes On…

Finally, I want to stress that I don’t undermine the deaths this pandemic brought. It was almost like a hard brake to the world, and probably my life was less affected than most others. I hope that with economic recovery and vaccine about to bless markets, life goes on and provides a healing touch to everyone.