Never Again

The Scent of Petrichor

19 December 2021

Dear Diary,

Today was just like any other day of my life since the pandemic.

I woke up today with a fresh mind. I was feeling energetic, which happens quite rarely these days. It has been almost two years since the pandemic started, and I have to say, these years were pretty boring and isolating.

If you were alive in 2020, you mostly Googled and looked at graphs of rising Covid-19 cases, and thanked God for not contracting the virus. You did it till you realized that it was pointless to live in fear, confusion, and drama forever.

So, back to today. Following my morning schedule, I made my bed, and then went for a run. As soon as I stepped out of the house, a slight breeze flew across my face, and I could smell the sweet scent of petrichor. I looked up at the sky, it was covered in dark clouds. I thought to myself, "Looks like it's going to rain today."

I thought of my school days, I would have been happy to know that it was going to rain because a heavy downpour usually meant that the school would remain closed. However, I am not a school-going student anymore, instead, I am a graphic designer, trying to do my job.

I am a part-time writer, and my first book was a huge success...ok, maybe not huge, but it was quite successful. I wanted to write another book, but then I hit a writer's block. So, recently it's mostly been graphic designing. After all, a person has to pay their bills you know.

After returning from my morning jog, I took a shower. The shower is the only place where I feel at ease these days. It is where I listen to my soul or talk to it. A perfect place, devoid of all earthly noises, far off from the non-kept human promises. The shower is where I reminisce about all things happy - the sound of my guitar, the bliss of rainfall, and the warmth of a cup of hot coffee.

Water, as its every touch, lifts me from the drudgery of life and normal of the society. It heals me, not the tangible me but my soul, this force within me.

The shower is where I make my fake scenarios, and do some shower-singing. It is the place where I can truly be myself, without any terms and conditions.

I can go on and on about why I love taking long showers, but I guess that you must have understood my point by now. So, let me tell you more about my day.

As usual, I went to my desk. The same desk, where I spend more than half of the day attending zoom meetings. I was running a little late today, so I fetched my things in a hurry and sat there in front of my laptop screen.

Since I can't change much of my room set-up, for a change I opened the curtains today. The sky was still covered with dark clouds. Looking outside my window, I could see birds sitting on the branches of a far-off tree. Sometimes, I wonder how life would be if I was a bird. We all want to be as free as a bird. You might be a student aspiring to build your career, or you might be a businessman who earns lakhs of money, but at some point in our lives, we all crave peace and serenity.

Being humans, we all are bound by some societal constraints. It is like taming a bird and keeping it inside a cage. Birds love to fly, collect their own food and grains, sleep in the woods, and enjoy sunsets. They are the best way to understand what freedom feels like.

If I were a bird, I would soar through the boundless azure skies, embracing the freedom of flight with each graceful wingbeat. The world below, a tapestry of colours and landscapes, would be my canvas to explore. As a bird, I would experience a profound connection with nature, a sensation of oneness with the earth and the heavens.