Looking back at 2020

A Story by msharma

An imagination to be ten years ahead in the year 2030, from there a pause and a look back

The world is all in merriment. Yes all fun and frolic! It is the again the jingling of bells heard from everywhere to welcome the new year 2030. Let me introduce myself its me Mridula ready to unwrap the feelings drowned indepth of heart. Today,the breeze feels as if singing a lullaby ,mesmerizing all with her gentle strokes. The visitors are very keen and seems as if wanting to enjoy it all it at one go.

I ,now on the threshold of my 59th year is happy to see all and am there to join the celebration when the midnight clock will pronounce it's judgement of its arrival into the year 2030.

Sitting at one of the tables at the corner of a cafe where the merriment is going .I was for a while surrounded with friends who wanted to enjoy every second of it.The conversation went high and low sometimes on the worldly issues to grandchildren's progress .Thus,everyone was there to share their views on what they had the command on. The shift of talk was taking every one to once plunge into the flow of the past good days.All bitter or sweet memories were served so as to take the taste of that time. I was closely observing everyone but didn't know when I quietly slipped into the year 2020, my senses too were following me .I found myself there at a place in Uttarakhand where I had shifted a few months back.It was nothing new welcoming the new year .Simple greetings sharing everywhere. The month January was a hectic one I was commuting everyday to do my new job.Later that month I finally got shifted to a new place where I was looking after my construction of my house.The month passed as if a wink.There came the new month February with more hard work to go. By this time my father had been a permanent patient in the hospital.Paying visits to him was just turning customary.A few phone calls from his side was the assurance of his feeble life running at no pace in actuality. On one cold day the call came from God and without intimating anyone he quietly left for heavenly abode. All gathered again for certain formalities.No love was found around .Only just to do task were there . It felt as if this chapter too had ended. I rushed back to my new home town .Relations by this time had turned mere formalities. Asking welfare was as if asking a ransom.The thoughts were heavy ,muddled with confusion to see the changed world.

I again felt the images running by. It was a comfort for all as my father passed peacefully not knowing the outbreak of misery.By the month of early March the tongues had started tickling about the mysterious disease spreading all around the globe. There came a day when the nation went for a total lock down.

Everyday the fearful deaths were reported,wearing masks had become the necessity.Each day the toll was rising high. People realised what real life was. Everyone wanted to live but the trap of death was a mystery. At that fearful time history was slowly being created.A warrior , who otherwise was a simple man devoted himself to the humanity. .He was from a neighboring town. He found poor ,homeless people, he donated all his money to bring a smile on their faces of .His hard work slowly got recognized. Poor found savior by their side.This was Mukesh, the God father now who took strolls all through the area around .Once he visited a hut ,there as an old lady sitting alone showing her devotion to the government's orders . The sight brought a tremendous change in him. He realised what was still missing in him.He gathered courage to bring her home as this was the feel that he was lacking for so long. He found the mother for him and the chase for unknowing things were now not paining him. Again the smooth breeze made me realise that it is not 2020 it is the arrival of 2030.

Toady when we are there to celebrate it. The pain of that misery had lessened with time.I got up hurriedly back to my home as I couldn't let others see the flow of tears that had again brought me to a standstill there.

© 2020 msharma

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Esteban Morfín

Great story! You achieve to transmit some deep feelings with your short story. However, it is pretty evident that English is not your first language. It is full of grammar and constructions errors.

Nonetheless, it is a great story! I know you've suffered a great deal because of coronavirus in India. I hope you and your family are doing fine. Take care and keep writing! Remember you can only get better!