An Extraordinary Journey of the Ordinary

Book excerpt: In the process of evolution, human beings have overcome a multitude of challenges and trials. One such recent encounter was with the pandemic COVID-19. The onslaught of a pandemic is not new in history, not so frequent and will also not be the last. However, during this pandemic, while some people perished, many evolved fighting against it and that’s what makes the journey of human species fascinating. This book is a perception of the journey of a variety of demographics through the pandemic and the series of lockdowns initiated to contain it. If on one hand, there was a closure of economic, religious, education and governmental institutions, on the other, there were attempts made to go digital and cope with new realities. While the women and LGBTQ+ community became vulnerable in their homes, the migrant labourers and sailors longed to return to their homes. If addiction to adult films was worrying, the actors in this industry struggled to survive. The small shopkeepers and domestic helpers were left in a lurch. The journey was tough yet extraordinary. As we move towards a new normal, how well prepared are we? Do we have any lessons learnt?