Jab Kuhu Met Jug

SPECIAL

*THIS IS A STAND ALONE CHAPTER REGARDING CURRENT SITUATIONS*

"Hello? Jug? Can you see me?"

Kuhu was squinting at her dark laptop screen, fiddling with the volume button as she sat opposite it cross-legged on her bed. The screen lit up and Jug's face appeared on her laptop screen.

"Yes, yes! Can you see and hear me?"

Kuhu nodded in response and they both relaxed and smiled at the screen.

Due to the Coronavirus lockdown placed, they were unable to meet up in person for their weekly sessions so they organised via email to have their next session via Zoom. Jug had set some strict conditions for their online session: to have a bottle of water next to her, to make sure the door was locked so they would not be disturbed for the next hour and to be comfortable. This was why Kuhu was sat on the bed in her blue pyjamas and Jug was sat on an armchair on his balcony in jogging pants and a t-shirt.

"How are you doing?" Jug asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"All good!" Kuhu responded with a smile.

"Really?" Jug prompted knowingly.

"Well yeah. I've just been at home as expected. I haven't stepped out for three weeks now. Whatever is needed, Kunal and Abir usually take care of it. I'm home. I'm safe. So I'm ok, right?"

"Wrong." Jug corrected her. "Kuhu, this is a huge change. It's ok to say that you're having difficulty. From what I have seen of you, you are a bubbly extroverted girl. Being confined to your home must be taking a toll on you."

Kuhu sighed.

"It just feels..... greedy complaining about these trivial things when people are actually dying out there."

"No feeling is too small and that's what I'm here for. Just tell me what's on your mind."

Kuhu was still silent which, for a second, made Jug think that the Zoom call had a glitch, but he could still see her fiddling with her fingers. Jug sighed. Looks like he would have to start her off.

"Like for me," Jug revealed, "it's the whole uncertainty of the situation that makes me anxious. We don't know how long this is going to go on, when this will end, it just feels like we're in limbo. You know what I mean?"

"YES!" Kuhu exclaimed. "This is exactly how I'm feeling. I don't know what's going to happen. I have had to cancel many events because of this and that is only until July. I don't even know if I'll have to cancel more. I hate this feeling! I like knowing what's happening so this is very out of the norm for me!"

"There's nothing we can do about this Kuhu, except follow all the rules and regulations put across. The more we do this properly, the quicker everything will go back to normal!"

"Hmmm... I just want this lockdown lifted ASAP!"

"But if this lockdown is lifted too soon, there could be another wave which would mean more infections and another lockdown."

"Really?" Kuhu enquired in surprise.

"Yes!" Jug replied. "I'll send you a link of an article of what happened in the US during the Spanish flu pandemic later. It explains all the benefits of social distancing and why lockdowns are needed in better detail. You will understand everything better then."

"Thank you!" Kuhu exclaimed. "See, this is the problem. The government says that something is needed but they don't explain properly why and that is why people do not follow restrictions properly!"

"Absolutely!" Jug agreed. "Are you worried about your business? Is this why you want lockdown to be lifted?"

"I am," Kuhu replied thoughtfully. "Event management is probably one of the hardest hit businesses during this time and I do worry that after this passes, it's going to be hard to get business lifted off the ground again. But I'm lucky! I worry for other self-employed businesses who live off what they earn. What must they be going through? It makes me sad."