Writing from Quarantine

Dear Baba,
I hope this letter finds you healthy and in peace. I know you’ll take care of yourself and everyone over there. Please stay home and safe.
Till now you used to say that it’s good we’re here but today, on the 21st day of quarantine when you called me, I could sense pain in your voice. This letter is to tell you everything because I am aphasic talking to you, my voice chokes. I want to bring you here in my words.
First we’re under Allah’s surveillance. And these people around me are a blessing. They look after us and I feel that on this whole planet, I’m in the safest zone. The best is that here people aren’t divided, everyone is just a human, a creature being protected by another one by the grace of Almighty. Baba, whenever I talk to Mamma she enquires about my food and hygiene. And tell me how to ensure a mother’s heart, I don’t know but Alhamdulillah the food we get is enough for empty stomachs and hopeful eyes. We’re blessed. Here the skies are clear, I always address moon and the glittering stars when I miss you. I don’t miss any sunrise and sundown because they give me hope.
 One day, believe me the sun will rise to take off all the deadness from the whole world. Everything will resurrect again and I’ll be home.
Wallahi, there’s something admirable the way whole world is struggling. No, I don’t mean that suffering is beautiful and neither do I romanticise sadness. But Baba, the hope that everyone is holding in eyes will never go in vain.

Today, the sun rose again, did yesterday too. A new day, new chance to start again, see things with fresh eyes. Quarantine is hard, I know this, but perhaps if we shift the perspective, just a touch, we can see it as a gift we never asked for. This perceived loss of freedom can become the reality of granted time on a scale unprecedented. This is a chance to slow down, to breathe, to finish things we started or start new things we can finish. It’s time to meditate on kindness, on gratitude, on a stillness we traded for someone else’s definition of success. Time to help, time to give, time to connect or reconnect in new ways. I know it’s hard, I know there are layers and layers to this thing, but I know we can choose or at the least try to choose how we see things. After all, the sun is rising tomorrow, will do overmorrow too. You’ll see. Who will you be that day? Who are you today?
You used to say that your daughter is brave and this epoch is to show strength and that bravery. I pray for your and other people’s good health. I pray to Allah for recovery of the whole world. May Allah protect the whole humanity. Aameen .

   

Wa Assalam

Rajisthan,Jaiisalmer.

April, 2020

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