It was during the first days of the pandemic in the UK. Supermarket shelves were partly empty, panic buyers were bumping into each other across the aisles, filling their carts with toilet rolls, boxes of cereal, oatmeal and pasta. People were stocking up on items they really didn’t need, and surely not in such large quantities. It was almost as if we were a city under siege, getting ready to endure a prolonged military confrontation, though without knowing exactly who the enemy was or where they might strike from. That was the collective mood at the time. In less than a few weeks, the panic would mostly subside and we would see heart-warming stories of kindness, humanism, solidarity and empathy emerging. But during that initial phase, there was just too much anxiety and alarm in the air. Also, a sense of disbelief.
AN INSECURE AGE
I was feeling down, tired of following the world news. I was walking around, observing people, as well as observing myself, not really shopping, which I knew I would come to regret when I went home with an empty basket. A few metres ahead of me was the fruits and vegetables section.
Bananas and apples, potatoes and sweet potatoes had all been sold out. I noticed a single pomegranate on an upper shelf, all alone. I made a move towards it, determined to buy something at least. That was when I saw the couple—both in their mid-forties. Well dressed, well mannered, holding themselves erect and almost motionless. I then heard the woman say to her husband, very slowly: “I can’t believe this is happening. Is it happening, darling, tell me. Like a cheap sci-fi movie, no? When were we zoomed into this bizarre world? I just want this to be over.”
Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av VOGUE India.
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Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av VOGUE India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.