Unsaid, by Subhasree Basu, Kolkata

Born, raised, and currently living in Kolkata, West Bengal, Subhasree is a star gazing traveler caught between the poetic and the mundane.

As we sped along the highway on a bright June morning, I felt guilty at being happy because I was out of the house and on what seemed like a day trip, during a pandemic. 

Two weeks ago, a super cyclone had hit the southern region of West Bengal, and some of the coastal areas had been badly affected. A few of us got together to organize relief campaigns, which took me to a little village in the area. Apart from the other essentials, we carried face masks and soaps for distribution. On the drive, we discussed ways of maintaining necessary precautions with regard to the spread of COVID-19. 

The village was a scene of utter devastation and chaos. As I was trying to fathom how the residents were negotiating the double blow of the pandemic and a natural disaster, a young girl, about ten years old, came running out from her house. She was clearly excited at having visitors in her village. So great was her excitement that she nearly hugged me. I somehow managed to avoid the hug, though she held onto my arms as she took us around the neighborhood. I tried to escape her clutches, quite literally, but she refused to budge from my side while we continued with the serious affairs at hand. I was in a real fix: I did not know how to make her understand the importance of physical distancing without sounding insensitive and cold. 

When we were ready to begin our return journey, the girl stood close to where our vehicles were parked, wearing a faint smile and waving at us. I regretted not having told her how much I had appreciated her constant presence and affection; not having explained why it was not me, but the circumstances, that made me shy away from her. 

It was in this moment that I cursed the pandemic for making me recoil from one of the most precious gifts of life– the warm, human touch. 

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(This story was prepared for an “Imagine Another World” online storytelling workshop held October 28, 2020.)

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