I Just Wanted to Wear My New Sneakers

But frickin’ people won’t let me

‘What will be the problem if I wear my new shoes?’, I protested.

You are going nowhere special. It’s just a quick in and out.

‘So what?’, I said.

Just wear those damn regular shoes. You are not wearing the new ones. Naye joote pehenne hai sir ko. Thappad padega toh samjh aayega (Wants to wear new shoes, Mr wannabe cool. One slap and you will return to common sense).

The conversation was over.

This happened to me in 2021. Around this same time. 30th April, to be exact.

The second wave of COVID-19 in India was in full strength. People were dying. Roads were empty, except for the people taking their loved ones to the hospital.

And in these scary times, my niece was born.

She was a fighter since day one. Her mother (my cousin sister) tested positive for COVID just three days before, and had strong symptoms on the day of delivery, too.

Although the doctor confirmed that vertical transmission of COVID-19 (mother to baby) is rare, since the sample size was too small, we could not help but feel worried.

But this little one showed no signs. She entered this world like a surfer…