REHAN RAZA

Prabhat PaPerbacks

Published by

PRABHAT PAPERBACKS

An Imprint of Prabhat Prakashan Pvt. Ltd.

4/19 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi–110 002 (INDIA) e-mail: [email protected] ISBN 978-93-5521-190-3 AN ODYSSEY THROUGH THE DARK by Rehan Raza

© Reserved Edition 2022

Dedicated to “The indefatigable covid warriors who served humanity in direst of times and to those whom we lost on the way”.

Preface

T

he pandemic that began in the year 2020 turned the world around in an unprecedented way, causing huge economic and social disruption and devastating millions of people. This story was conceived while I was engaged in Covid relief work as Sub Divisional Magistrate. At this crucial time, I was at the forefront of disaster management and had the onerous task of managing the pandemic situation and ensuring compliance of Covid protocols. When tales of pain and suffering were making headlines in the newspapers, I was witnessing them first-hand being at the epicentre, ensuring necessary and timely help to people. The heart-rending chronicles of human suffering that I bore testimony to, were also stories of grit, determination and courage, that are the essence of human beings. The Odyssey Through the Dark was conceived during this time when I was sinking in the sea of human emotions while discharging my duty diligently. It is a romantic love story interwoven around the incidents which happened in Delhi during the pandemic times. It is the narrative of a young man who with his grit, determination, selflessness and intelligence transforms challenges into opportunities. The story reflects how

hard work and commitment can bring difference to an individual’s life. It is also about human relationships and how they respond to the challenging circumstances. The story is written as an exemplum of how one must conduct oneself through the ups and downs of life. The story captures a few real-life incidents which happened around that time. The inspiration for the characters and incidents in the story, therefore, came from the people and their reallife struggles that they went through in those difficult and trying times. This book glorifies the virtues of friendship, sacrifice, love, affection, courage, conviction, and conscientiousness that are inherent in human beings. q

Acknowlegements

T

his book came into being out of real-life experiences that were both moving and rewarding. It was conceived while working at the immensely challenging task of containing and managing Covid-19 disease as an administrator. While the world was reeling under the mayhem unleashed by the Covid pandemic, the district administration was relentlessly working to provide help to the affected people and enforce order into the chaos. The inspiration came from all the people who worked in my team tirelessly, ceaselessly and also became model for the characters of this story. This effort has become possible only with the help, support and motivation of many elders and friends. First and foremost, my sincere and deep gratitude goes to my wife Nabeela Wali, who patiently and dauntlessly motivated me to perform my duty in the highly exigent circumstances. Her constant support, practical help, encouragement, and feedback during the writing process were indispensable. To my siblings, who have always been by my side, and motivated me to write this book. I am thankful to Ms. Poonam Chaudhary, Ms. Namita Gupta, Ms. Ekta Verma, Ms. Yogita Arora, Sh. Sushil Gupta and Sh. Anoop for their tireless and creative contributions in the book.

My respected seniors—Sh. Vijay Kumar Dev, IAS, Sh. Ashish Kundra, IAS, Sh. Ankur Garg, IAS, Sh. S.B. Deepak Kumar, IAS, Sh. Prince Dhawan, IAS, Sh. Udit Prakash Rai, IAS, Sh. Sandeep Mishra, DANICS and Sh. Awanish Kumar, IAS—have been a source of inspiration for me and their experiences and knowledge have helped me giving this book the desired shape. I am also grateful to my District Magistrate Ms. Cheshta Yadav, IAS and Ms. Patil Pranjal, IAS for constantly motivating and guiding me. The efforts put in by Sh. Parveen Kumar, Sh. Joginder Rana , Ms. Madhu Soni, Ms. Samina Nesar, Ms. Albeena Wali and Sh. Mohit Malik are appreciable and deserve due mention. Efforts have been made to give credit where it is due for the material contained herein. If inadvertently I have missed giving due credit to anyone, future publications will do so upon bringing it to my attention. q

Contents Preface ............................................................................ 7 Acknowlegements ............................................................. 9 Chapter 1

The Breakdown ...................................... 13

Chapter 2

Setting Sail ............................................. 21

Chapter 3

Love Comes Knocking .......................... 39

Chapter 4

The Looming Crisis ............................... 50

Chapter 5

Lockdown .............................................. 65

Chapter 6

Migrants, Miseries and Displacement.... 80

Chapter 7

Love in the Times of Pandemic ............. 95

Chapter 8

New Beginnings ....................................111

Chapter 9

Various Shades of Love ....................... 125

Chapter 10

Jabbed for Life ..................................... 139

Chapter 11

Chronicles of Agony and Pain ............. 150

Chapter 12

Love Triumphs Over All ...................... 176

1

CHAPTER

The Breakdown

R

Crumbling is not an instant’s Act A fundamental pause Dilapidation’s processes Are organised Decays. —Emily Dickinson

ahul’s tearful eyes lay transfixed on Arun’s face whose breathing was visibly shallow and troubled. Trapped in a PPE kit and looking at his dear friend’s face through the veil of a face shield, Rahul felt a sudden instinct to pull down the physical barriers and hug his friend tight, and assure him that everything would soon be fine. Countless memories of the invaluable times that they had revelled in flashed through his eyes in those moments. His reverie was broken by a tap on his shoulder. As he tried to blink away a tear at the corner of his eye, Aditi gently nudged him to move out of the ICU. He resignedly followed her into the doctor’s room. It took them a while to get out of their PPE kits and change into normal clothes. The coronavirus pandemic had added gobs of rituals to a common person’s day and more so to a person in the vicinity of a COVID-positive patient. The word positive had also taken very negative connotations in the corona pandemic. It was ironic, because at the same time the epidemic had

An Odyssey Through The Dark

enriched Rahul’s life with experiences, challenges and opportunities as well. He had always used the proverbial lemons which life threw his way to make lemonade. But with his childhood buddy struggling for life, Rahul was disconsolate and had lost his ability to look at anything positively. His blossoming romance with Aditi had also hit a rough patch. There was an indescribable distance between them. The extraneous time needed for even the simplest of chores, long working hours, management of their individual professions and commitments, and the tedious task of following the COVID protocols even when they were alone had not just made them distant but also taken away the charm of their relationship. Perennial tiredness and separation from their families were taking a toll on their psychological health, and they realised it too. They continued being together in the hope that they would be able to sail through the storm together. Rahul’s phone buzzed and without looking at the name flashing on the screen, he picked up the call. It was Anjali, Arun’s girlfriend, on the other end. Rahul felt an irrepressible need to blurt out what he had been dreading, that his worst fear might come true. He composed himself before responding. He told Anjali that Arun was under the observation of doctors and the situation was under control. They just needed Remdesivir, a life-saving drug, which was not available over-the-counter in the market, to help Arun’s symptoms. During the surge of the COVID pandemic, its export had been banned. However, with a fall in the number of cases— below 30,000 per day across India—the government had again allowed its export. But now that this 14

The Breakdown

even deadlier, second wave of COVID-19 was prevailing, restrictions had again been imposed on its export. Despite these restrictions, the drug was not easily available in the market for the patients. People were ready to pay whatever they could to get it; demand was astronomically enhanced, along with delayed supplies and distributors resorting to hoarding and stockpiling as reported in the media. Rahul did not want to explain all these details to Anjali and upset her. He simply told her that Aditi was arranging for the drug and Arun should be fine as soon as Remdesivir was administered. He assured her that he would keep her updated and disconnected the line. As he hung up the call, his phone buzzed again. It was Balvinder Singh. Rahul was expecting his call. He picked up the phone. Balvinder Singh asked, “Rahul Beta, how is Arun?” Rahul replied, “Not good, sir. He’s still in the ICU. I am very scared. I don’t know what to do. Our hopes are pinned on Remdesivir. Aditi is trying to get in touch with the authorities in district administration to get it as soon as possible. But in the meantime, there is no improvement in his health. I feel so helpless; except for relying on Aditi’s abilities to get the medicine.” Balvinder Singh said, “Baba ji will see that all is well. Don’t panic. You are a braveheart, boy. I remember how you and Arun took care of me when I was admitted to the hospital.” He further added, “You also have to attend a meeting with Mr Bajaj regarding the supply of sanitisers and masks. Will you be able to make it?” Rahul was flustered but replied in a calm tone, “Yes, sir. I have to go there but I am also concerned about leaving Arun alone.” 15