piggy tales

It is difficult. Studying something boring after dinner, with stomach full of food that is getting digested even as you're dilly-dallying about where to begin from. And by the time the hour hand of the clock sweeps a full π/3 radians, the eyelids positively begin to droop. At this time, it takes your cellphone to declare 'one new message received', to stir you from your somnolent state. It was from a friend from college about a rather alarming news. 'One swine flu case in our college'-it read. The eyes which were getting blurry a minute ago,popped out with sudden alertness.
"Good lord! who?" I asked.
"Someone from IT dept"-she replied.
And I started rewinding my memory. Did I meet any IT people today? Um..no. I don't think so. I did see a few of them a day before yesterday at the students' section while inquiring after the marksheets, but I definitely didn't talk to them. But then maybe I came in close contact with someone who might've come in contact with them. Or maybe I came in contact with the infected person himself! How would I know? I know very limited people in the college by their names, or even by faces for that matter. Which is explainable, as I still don't know the names of at least a dozen of my classmates..yeah, never bothered to find out either. But the point is..what are the chances? I do travel by buses.Of course it has reduced great deal this sem. And although travelling on your own is a time saver, thirty five minutes at a stretch for a heavily accident prone person like me is a bit trying. But I'm turning into a road rockstar- two full weeks without bumping into other vehicles and speeding tickets :).
My cold has not subsided even after a month. And my mother, like a typical mother is making a big deal out of it.Yawn. But now that there's so much morose news coming from every corner-swine flu tightens grip in the city,state sees its worst hit ever, first disease to be declared pandemic in the last forty one years,death toll soars up,new testing centres being set up-the paranoia is making inroads in everybody's mind. Even mine. My 'be-prepared' father had already purchased the n-95 masks two weeks ago and he daily urges both me and mamma to wear it. No, we still don't. He doesn't, either.But now..now I might. Ew!
It's funny, you know! The absolutely contradictory behaviour that people exhibit. Don't compromise with the roadside dalwadas, travel in brts buses only because they're for free, and please please don't forget to avail from the 'mega' sale that is going on in a mall that is a good twenty kilometres from your home- yes yes the same which records the footfalls of half the city- to buy one and get two free ,or perhaps shop for five hundred or more and get a kilo of sagar ghee free. And yet these are the same people, who'll run like road runners,covering up their noses and mouths with any cloth at hands' reach-hankie,dupatta,free end of a saree,collar of the shirt-at the slightest sound from the inferno- Aaaatchhooo!

It's a pity that swine flu is a communicable disease, and that it can affect humans. Think how easy it would've been otherwise, to prove/determine the real species of many a mammals who pretend to be humans. At least a few people I'm unfortunate enough to know, would've definitely been affected by swine flu.
But every cloud has a silver lining and I'm hoping for the best. Maybe after this they'll close the college for a week. OR maybe they'll curtail the college hours. OR maybe they'll stop sending letters to the parents of the students with an attendance shortage, which by the way I didn't receive. :) OR maybe they would distribute Bournvilles. Yes, I know the last one doesn't fit in, but what the hell! one can never get enough of chocolates! :D

No matter whatever dies out...Hope must live on :)