To Hug Or Not To Hug?

2020, the supposed year of revolution and fulfilments of dreams. It featured in the dreams and hopes of many thinkers of yesteryear as the ultimate year of realisation of their imaginations.

On the eve of 31st December 2019, people celebrated the end of a year, a decade, and the beginning of a new one. They made jokes about "bringing the roaring '20s back!", but were careful to add "but just the pleasant parts", as an almost afterthought.
Some would call it fate, others would say it's a mere coincidence. Whatever it is, humanity was not prepared for this whirlwind of a year that was 2020.

In the first week of 2020, the Third World War seemed imminent. But, by the end of January, it was the last thing on everyone's mind. For then, we had a fresh problem: a previously unknown virus that had gripped an enormous chunk of the Chinese population. They named it the Novel Coronavirus.

It spread faster than anyone could've imagined and soon, it established its presence in every nation.

In 2022, with the last COVID-19 patient discharged from the hospital, the WHO declared that the pandemic had ended. The human race has survived the pandemic and made it through, but will it ever be the same again?

(DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH)