Beautiful park, chirping birds, gentle breeze and setting sun brought in an elegant wave of happiness in my mind and body. I have not felt so good for many years. I felt a sudden urge to walk to the park and sit there for a while. I also planned to carry the book I wanted to finish since many weeks.
It is four years since I was living in this society and had umpteen opportunities to spend time in that park but somehow never felt the need or urge to go. All these year, busy in office during weekdays and self-made ‘need’ to chill over the weekend to let go of the workdays stress made me too busy.
Although sometimes I thought about how lucky the word stress is. Its the most talked-about word of the past few decades. Forget about grownups, I even heard from 7-year-old kids that they are stressed due to homework or school assignments. Never understood the meaning of stress but definitely one of the essential commodities of this mankind. Its mostly used to avoid something or to get the attention of somebody.
A cute puppy trying to coming out of the park brought my attention towards it. After few struggle, it chose to sneak under the big gate than the open side gate. I smiled at it thinking how we are also no different. There are so many ways to achieve happiness and peace but we always keep staring at the big gate to open where many small gates are open just next to it.
In a few seconds, half a dozen more came out of the park and started playing on the streets. Running behind each other, rolling on the streets during friendly fighting and jumping on each other. They kind of felt as if the road was their playground. A sudden thought of running vehicles on the street made me worried. I have seen one of my favorite street puppy die few weeks back under a rushing motor bike, and that image brought chills in my body. I went running towards the park.
I was wearing shorts and a vest. In no regular circumstance, I would ever go out of the house in such attire. But, I was not thinking about anything but the puppies and the rushing vehicles on the street. I was sure that few would have got hurt by now, due to the bikers who try doing stunts on that street in the evening. These puppies have no idea where they have intruded into.
This is a cruel human world. Puppies must refrain from coming out to the streets. There is nothing for them on the roads other than death. Nobody is there to play with them to feed them.
I ran out of my apartment through the stairs as lift may take some time to come. I went to the main gate, rushing. I was short of breath at that time due to the panic and running too fast. I opened the main entrance and went running towards the park.
Strangely enough, there was nobody on the street. Absolutely Nobody!!!
Not a single person on the street, no vehicle, no sound, a strange silence. I could hear by heart bit. I was panting heavily. In no time, those puppies were around my feet, licking my toes, trying to reach my fingers. I sat there cuddling them, playing with them, and wondering where the people who own this piece of earth are. I could hear somebody running towards me from behind.
“Sir, You should not have come out! Its lock-down! Police are patrolling to ensure nobody is outside the home.” Our society security guard came to warn me.
I realized the entire situation then. I knew about the virus thing but did not know about the city is under lock-down. No wonder why it is so peaceful. I was glad that puppies got their space on this earth, although for a few days.
Locked down Series
Life as Sakti 