Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Sayonee Goswami] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see a world so beautiful and green, sitting under a laburnum tree, I am reading the classic tales of Agatha, and Doyle, or possibly a poem about long lost love from Keats. With the birds chirping and the trees swaying in the spring breeze. The bumblebees are a little too happy to be seeing the fresh flowers without the human intervention. A little not far away, trickling of the brook and a fresh fresh breeze. The sunlight peeping out of the canopies. There is no suffering. Everything is alright. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Uneza Irshad] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see what an inquilabi I used to be (I'll always be ) I see the last winters in a glimpse the national flag held high and high women fearlessly singing songs of resistance and men serving them tea I see youngsters painting walls with revolutionary graffiti I see pile of books teaching us how to dissent at the bus stand turned into library I see candles lighten up by the night soldiers showing how peaceful a protest can be. I see children, elder younger of all ages Sloganeering in unison And then I see myself standing in the crowd hanging out the banners painted with Ehtijaj poetry Neither it was Hong Kong nor Kashmir

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Saurabh Singh] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona… and I see myself sitting in a car, looking out side and thinking about my half-completed book of an incomplete love story. I see myself stuck upon just one paragraph where I want to tell them that love is not just about being together with someone you love and making commitments but sometimes it is about keeping them in your prayers and not letting them know. Sometimes it is about loving them while being so far away from them. I see myself extracted from this world, which is full of materialistic love, and I see the ruins of my love which can not be reconstructed. “We the Isolationists”

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Kanan Parmar] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see a beautifully painted sky that is being clicked by thousands and the photos being posted online. I see how people have started using social media as their coping mechanisms. I login to my instagram to find chaos. On the contrary, I also see and feel a temporary relief from the fast-paced world. But then, I open my eyes, to face the harsh reality. I close my eyes again to seek refuge and peace within me. “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 from Corona... and I see...” Not more than

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Veena Gupta] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see myself on a vacation with my college friends. No inhibitions, no barriers, simply fun-filled days reliving the carefree college days. Teasing each other, playing pranks and at times sitting and discussing how our lives have shaped since we left college almost 45 years ago. And talking of our careers, our better halves, our children and our grand children. “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 from Corona... and I see...” Not more than 100 words. With a horizontal-sized selfie, along with your city name...

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Vikram Singh] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see myself holding within, the image of her auspicious arrival when she came upwards from the stairs and there I stood realising why I have been sent on this planet and thereafter every thing has some elements of her beauty wherever I see wherever I go. Now relaxing makes more sense than ambition. Now planting a flower at home is similar to give it to her in person. I close my eyes to feel the pleasant fragrance of all the shrines and temples in her divine lap. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Aisha Zafar] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see myself wondering if we'll learn anything from this time. Knowing we can go to sleep one night thinking there’s no stopping us and wake up to a world at halt. Evening plans, travel itineraries, all rendered useless. That while we try to control everything, our futures, our friendships, even our waters, the world remains home to countless mysteries, monstrosities. The idea is not to romanticise, find a silver lining or blame all for the mistakes of a few. But won't it be a shame if we don’t come out of this changed? Unaware of our privilege, our priorities. Won't it be a

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Kajal Jha] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see hypocrisy dipped with honey and social media choking with woke hashtags. #...#...#... I see ubiquitous chaos iced with Weltschmerz. I see the world turning into heaps of woes. I see a phoenix rising from these heaps bleeding hashtags### #coronadiary_nth+1 I close my diary in self-isolation from Corona...and I see... It is a bright and clear day. The sky was never so clean. The bright blue sunny sky with a patch of cloud with irregular edges perfectly put as if it was waiting for someone to paint it. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with “I

Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Kevin Arnold Dsouza] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see myself thinking about love and luck, about its similar nature. You start to realize that there are but two types of people in the world, those who are running away from their past and those who embrace its presence. Till it dawns on me I shall loiter in my head holding on to the last sentence I read. "We have learned that in this world, It is Impossible to separate things from their way of appearing " - Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1948) - Art & The World of Perception Stay Safe. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the