Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Parajdeep Singh Dhillon] I close my eyes in my self-isolation from corona... and I see the sea. Inky depths beckoning, as the ship resolutely pushes into the night. I see the moon set, its silvery reflection on choppy sea melding with the wake of the ship. As if we'd descended from Luna, who is also the sole witness of my longing. For she was far away from me, yet not so from the moon. I took comfort from that. And as the moon disappears below the horizon, blushing crimson at being an unintended witness, I open my eyes. To this isolation. She's farther away still, without my shy witness. “We the Isolationists” series urges

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Tulika Saxena] I close my eyes in my self-isolation from corona... and I see... silence. I strain my aural capabilities, I realise that there aren't any further sounds left to intercept. Maybe the occasional footsteps of the househelp, or the slight breeze rustling the leaves. If I'm really adamant on perceiving some noise, then a faint unsteady vibration of several insects that co-exist might be heard. Isn't it blissful to become suddenly aware of the idea that the only commotion in the city is the voices of the mynah over the excitement of the sudden arrival of the mongoose? “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Srishti Chaudhary] I close my eyes in my self-isolation from corona... and I see the guilt of being isolated in comfort. The guilt of having food, family and the internet (in that order). The guilt of knowing this could have been worse. That this is worse for a lot of people. Then, the guilt of feeling guilty instead of thankful. And then I close my eyes again, and wish we could just fast-forward this- this week/month/season/pandemic what you will. And finally I close my eyes to not see anymore, to not think anymore, to sleep. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with “I close my

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Pallavi Pratap] I close my eyes in my self-isolation from corona... and I see semal, day after day lying on my balcony, its beauty depleting. The bright red flower which fell from the gorgeous tree was, just a few days back, a sight of joy reminding me that holi was around the corner and spring was here. As I sit today, on the edge of my bed, looking helplessly outside the window, semal lies stuck between the railing and the glass, turning brown and withering away reminding me that the season is changing and this too shall pass. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Shomitro Chatterjee] I close my eyes in my self-isolation from corona... and I see myself wondering if all that we humans feel is a false sense of existence. I can hear the birds chirp and see the buildings at a distance, there's no rush, there's no race. There's some quiet time with loved ones, but still it makes me wonder, whether the chaos is outside, or within. Whatever be the case, we're finally giving back to nature, what had been owed by us to it since time immemorial. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with “I close my eyes in my self-isolation

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Mohammad Syed Raza] I close my eyes in my self-isolation from corona... and I see myself several winters back, when I came to know of you. It was then I learnt, that I needed to be more, than I was. Without you, I have earnestly, albeit slowly, evolved to a better version of myself. When I sit back in this self-imposed isolation, I understand that this was needed; away from daily hustle and bustle, long silences between me and my ever noisy mind with exceptions for comforting thoughts of all that has been good in life, you and reminiscence of many springs gone by. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Priyanka Sharma] I close my eyes in my self-isolation from corona... and I see that my infinite consciousness has semblance of a feather which wanders swiftly from one city to another, swirling with the wind, through ravines and parapets, peeping into homes through the corners of screeching doors and windows, crossing geographical boundaries one after another. Maybe, it’s trying to find the misfits, the readers, the lovers, the poets, the rebels, the exponents of unity, love and hope across the mankind to reinforce that all of us are but, mere humans when detached from weapons of thoughts; equally vulnerable, equally valuable. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Shreya Chaudhuri] I close my eyes in my self-isolation from corona... and I see Salvador Dali’s melting watch painting. The irreversible quality of time of the artwork makes me think about the sudden halt in a once-upon-a-time fast life. In a blink, the idea of impermanence assumes immense criticality. Dali’s slippery watches become synonymous with our slippery existence. Only if we let it! When there is abundant time, thoughts bombard in greater abundance. So I allow my mindscape to traverse spaces where I see myself falling down the rabbit hole. Into a surreal wonderland, of course! You cannot touch the same ‘time’ twice! “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Chaitanya Suraj Mamidi] I close my eyes in my self-isolation from corona... and I see the migrant laborers in Delhi who are forced to walk all the way back to their hometowns, the doctors and healthcare workers who are being thrown out by their landlords, the state that has conveniently used this opportunity to demolish protest sites, the justification of vigilantism, and the normalization of racism that's happening. Then I see news about dolphins returning to canals in Venice and elephants freely roaming around in rural Wuhan, and that gave me a glimmer of hope. Once I got to know it's all fake news, it started making me introspect why I fell for fake news so