My Exceptional Year 2020

 It has been almost a week after we all entered in 2021 after the unusual 2020. The pandemic changed life of many across the globe. I was also a victim of this pandemic. 

This year started with my zeal to publish more research articles in order to complete my ME dissertation. It was a wonderful experience presenting my first research paper in an International  conference in last months of 2019. The deadlines were near to submit manuscripts. Finally, I was getting some satisfaction of this work. I had started feeling worthy. But this feeling was short lived after the nationwide lockdown started in March 2020. 

During the lockdown, it was a mixed feeling. Helping parents in household chores, less movement to market, restricting social life and watching classic TV shows was all I did in the lockdown. Though it was a new lifestyle I was not habitual of but seeing the condition of daily wage laborers stranded in cities and states, struggling to go to their native place was totally disheartening. The pandemic has changed lives of everyone. 

I was lucky that at my place, COVID cases were low as compared to other cities initially. It was during this lockdown I did many online courses to enrich my knowledge and I would like to thank my college MITS, Gwalior and Coursera to provide free online courses during the lockdown. Somehow, I was able to complete my dissertation, but the question of further course of action was not clear. Should I continue appearing in competitive exams or opt for higher studies as in for PhD. I was confused because pandemic has raised uncertainty over competitive exams and continuing PhD from the same institute was not advisable. So, I started filling PhD applications and preparing for the PhD admission exams.

I got interview calls from very few good colleges and I could excel in only a couple of them. Finally after a long and comprehensive selection process. I could make it to that institute for PhD which I hadn't ever dreamt of !!! It was Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay who accepted me as a provisional PhD candidate. I was super happy and excited and thanked my guide Dr. Hari Mohan Dubey and Dr. Manjaree Pandit for their constant support and guidance. But this, happiness was short lived. 

In November 2020, My father was tested COVID positive. He is 60 years old  and was about to retire from his job at the end of that month. I was busy with the course work of my PhD and this news had chilled my spine as all sorts of negative thoughts started coming to my mind but somehow me and my mother gathered courage to arrange quarantine for my father at home. My father who like any other old age uncle has always been negative about the idea of isolation and pandemic, is a tough nut to crack. Being a workaholic, he was more worried that his work will be affected due to this. So, I arranged a laptop and working table in his quarantine room. After a week, his condition worsened as he can't sneeze properly and felt pain in the chest. It was an alarming situation and through some contacts I could admit him to the Super Speciality Hospital in Gwalior. The site of him going inside he hospital made me emotional. I , along with my mother were standing outside and praying for his speedy recovery. That night I could not sleep. Through phone and videocall, I could get information about his health. It was my cousin who helped me mentally to be strong and face this emergency. She is doing her MBBS in the same hospital and her constant monitoring was a blessing for me. Though she is younger to me, she confided confidence and hope that my father would return soon.

After an excruciating week of treatment in the hospital. my father's condition improved and he was discharged from hospital with a further home-quarantine of a week. During this phase, my mother had also developed some symptoms and after telephonic consultation with our family doctor, her medication also started. It was after her negative COVID report that I could take a sigh of relief. 

It was a very crucial time for my family and I can relate to other families who has gone through this phase. I will always suggest and spread awareness that don't take this pandemic lightly. Wear mask and follow COVID prevention rules strictly. Now, India and the world is moving towards COVID-19 vaccine and I hope this ends it all, though the ne strain has further increased the tension. 

Nevertheless, it is life and it has go somehow. 

STAY SAFE. WEAR A MASK. FOLLOW PHYSICAL DISTANCING

Good Bye 2020

Happy New Year 2021