M for Maharashtra

What I have learnt from my days in lockdown is that, sanity comes at a huge cost. Especially if you stay alone and your life sees lots of ups and downs. Same case was with me the time lockdown was initiated in the country. I was going through a series of mental uphevals and was not in a state of mind to even think properly. 

Now, you witness lots of relationships in your lifetime, some you can give a proper name and some you cannot. Some people tend to stay with you no matter what while some exit once they feel or once you feel is the right time. Some people support you by being with you and holding your hand in person while some relationships are merely virtual or video call based but yet contribute a lot. 

I was facing an unexpected event during the Janta Curfew time and had no clue as to what I should be doing in life. I was a bit suicidal to be honest but yes needed that sanity in me at the same time. 

Here enters a friend. Lets call her M. 

I had met up with her just once long back in early 2019 via a matrimonial website (Yes, I was enlisted until November 2019). Things didn't work out well between us and we parted ways that time but yes somehow we were still connected on WhatsApp and Facebook. One morning, I got up from a sleepless night and was wondering about what exactly I should do, I cant go anywhere, I don't have anyone beside me at present and my closest person was 2000 miles away from me in Kolkata. I just pinged her on WhatsApp randomly asking about her well being. She stays in Maharashtra, which is by far the worst affected state in India and is a school teacher. 

We got talking and I just needed an ear to vent out all my frustrations and she was the most patient listener I got then. She heard me out, and gave me just one advice to start with, 'Eat something and try to stay healthy. That's the need of the hour' I found that to be the most bullshit idea that time because I had no mental peace. How can one just gobble away just like that? 

She told me about something which I never ever gave a thought to 'Give time to yourself. Only then you can do justice to your life or anyone associated with you. Love oneself, thats more important than anything"

Thought provoking words for sure. That somehow did work out for me to a very small level, but yes I did have a meal after 3 days post speaking with her. We also had a couple of video calls and I showed her my apartment and she showed me hers and we spoke for the next 3 days and shared a lot of things. What I understood is that her perspective towards a relationship is all about being oneself and thinking about oneself before anyone else. My thoughts were different, I thought of it as one whole world which can be summarised in just one word 'us'.

We meet many people in our lifetime, yet she contributed to some extent towards my initial sanity and am thankful to her for that. What she did was nothing but an Act of Random Kindness.