Rotten brinjals and forgotten mangoes

For better or for worse, contrived or by co-incidence, I lack situational awareness beyond a point that helps me to work peacefully, do my research, design my online classes, and move on with life. A few things I look forward to everyday are watching the banana flowers sprout rows of raw bananas from my kitchen window every morning as I make breakfast, count the different sounds the birds outside my home make, and of course my cha and shingara every evening. I have managed to stay away from reading the deluge of emails where my colleagues are fighting and arguing everyday (unless they concern me, which they don't), the information overload due to people sharing dozens of COVID-related popular articles everyday, and constant online arguments over whether we should allow 900 students on campus this year or simply go online (or let them in and still teach online).

.

I understand that we all have many unanswered questions, but arguing over emails everyday is not going to yield answers. When there were three COVID-positive cases on campus, people lost it and started sending all kinds of weird emails. All I can say is that I am glad I am not the dean or director of an institution right now and do not need to pacify people or reply to their strange emails (including a question like if one of the faculty gets COVID, who will teach the rest of the course?). "Stay home and don't get into people's business" would have been my standard template of a response anyway.

.

My sister, however, has come to my rescue multiple times.

.

"Didi, do you know, Irrfan Khan died. Rishi Kapoor died."

.

And there I looked it up and spent the next few weeks watching Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor-movies after I read about the news of their passing.

.

"Didi, your city has the highest death rate per million in India now."

.

Me: "Oh, really? Let me read up!"

.

"Didi, Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide!"

.

Me: "Oh, really? I just watched PK yesterday. Wait, let me read up."

.

And now, "Didi, are you okay?"

.

I thought she is asking me this question after I told her yesterday that two of the brinjals bigbasket delivered were rotten.

.

Me: "Of course I am, I even made brinjal curry with the rest, why do you ask?"

.

"Uff... there has been an earthquake close to where you live. Don't you know?"

.

Me: "Ummm... no!"

.

"Uff, what were you doing? It's all over the news!!!" she asks me, sounding very annoyed.

.

"Err.... I ordered 3 kg mangoes and bigbasket delivered 6 kg by mistake and asked me to keep them all. So I shared some with the Myntra delivery man who was very surprised. I was looking at all the mangoes in the fridge and wondering what to do with them!" I replied, somewhat sheepishly.

.

I don't think she thinks very highly of me anymore.

.

sunshine