Pratima Shah

   Never did anyone of us ever anticipate about a pandemic and the lock down that followed it. None of us ever thought that we would all be compelled to stay within the house to save one another. Life was running at a very busy pace and then came a sudden standstill all around us. The ones who complained about not having time have all the time of the world now but are not in the frame of mind to do what they want to do. It's a time where the mental stability of every person is to test. The same space, people, routine and activities have given birth to anxiety, depression, gloom and a lethargy where in one doesn't feel like doing anything.    How difficult it must be for those who are in quarantine? What would be the state of those who are away from their family / city/ village? To be isolated in a place where you do not know anyone and even if you know someone what is it that can be done? Nothing, nothing at all. Man always thought of himself as a superior and powerful spe

   A woman lives with a lurking fear of being judged / of failure / of being disliked and disapproved / of over reaching / of drawing negative attention  / of making wrong choices and the mightiest trinity of fear: the fear of being a bad daughter / wife / mother. This lurking fear has a deep impact on her routine, on her thought process and on the way she carries herself in the journey of life. Every man has a fear within; but despite everything that happens under the prestigious banner of feminism only the woman will be judged / misjudged / and no one can dare to tell anything to a man. It will take thousands of years for the mentality of the Indian society to change and be a witness to gender equality without any bias of caste / creed/ profession / any other barrier.    A woman should learn to come to terms with the lurking fear that troubles her. She needs to stop being tough towards herself. There is no need to be a perfectionist at home / workplace / in everything she does.