Pandemic's Emotional Toll

In Kashmir, Covid-19 hasn’t infected and killed people alone. It has broken families or pushed them into crises that are unlikely to settle. Saima Bhat reports the emotional toll of a pandemic involving alienation of husbands from wives, in-laws from daughters-inlaw and engagements that families terminated fearing the irreversible damage by the infection will mar the lives of their wards

- Saima Bhat

As the spring arrived early 2019, the garden of Mirs’ at Bemina was full of different shades of daffodils. Excited to share the colours of spring foliage, the family had another reason to be happier: their only son, Aqib, had fathered his first child, a daughter. Aqib’s wife Sana’s parents at Hyderpora were also delighted at the motherhood of their only daughter.

Barring the disruptions due to Covid-19, the families had a better time together. The baby received special treatment from the family members while Aqib and Sana enjoyed their new-found parenthood.

ABANDONED LITERALLY

However, the happiness did not last long. Around five months after her delivery, Sana returned to Bemina. A banker by profession, she resumed her duty after six months of maternity leave. Managing home, work, and newborn babies, a new routine emerged. Sana is the only member of a business family who does a day job.

With the scare of Covid around, the family wanted Sana to extend her leave by a few months more. Not able to manage, she instead assured them of taking extra precautions to ward off any eventuality. “I was not the only person going out, but yes, precautions had to be taken,” she said. But her assurance could not calm the tempers.

Struggling to deal with the hostile environment at home, she somehow made her husband understand the situation. The days passed off peacefully. But when tested, Sana along with her several colleagues was tested for Covid-19. She told the husband over the phone about the test. The next thing she did was to inform her parents. “They insisted I should take care,” she said.