On March 24, 2020, Prime Minister called for a complete lockdown of the entire nation for 21 days to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. In a televised address to the country, he said that even those nations with the best medical facilities could not curb the virus and that social distancing is the only option to mitigate it. The decision got proposed from the experiences of health sector experts and experiences of other countries and that 21 days is essential to break the chain of infection.
“Hello,” Payal responds on the phone call. The call was from an unknown number which said “Salim Hussain” from the True Caller app. She didn't know anyone with that name.
“Hello, Payal, I'm your Salim Uncle. Do you remember me?” A gruff voice on the other end responded. “You're at home now. Aren't you?” He added.
“Oh, yes. I'm at home, Uncle. Father told me that you would call,” Payal responds meekly and detects a sardonic chuckle on the other end for no apparent reason.
Payal is a teenage school-going girl. She lives in a small village with a population of only about a thousand people. Her parents had gone to a nearby city to attend someone's death ceremony. But they'd told her it would take them at least ten days to return home. Now that everything was under lockdown, they might have to be away for twenty-one days.
Salim, on the other hand, was a childhood friend of Payal's father. He was from the very same village where Payal lived. But, Salim shifted to the neighborhood city before Payal was born. He made a comeback because he had to sell the land he inherited from his father. He had also sold his village house a long time ago. This time, it was his farmland. He didn't have any relatives in the village, that's why he called Mohan asking if he could stay at his place. Mohan told him that only Payal was at their home now. Mohan trusted Salim with his life, so he did with his daughter.
“Oh, Mohan… what did he tell you?” Salim asked.
“Father said that you'd be staying with me until the lockdown and public transportation is resumed,” Payal answered.
Payal was very bubbly and talkative, yet she was not comfortable talking to Salim. Salim had seen Payal last time when she was merely five years of age.
“So, I'll be there before the dawn,” Salim concluded the call.
“Okay, Uncle.” Payal sniffles.
Salim disconnected the call.
To be continued in private.