Year 2020 is drawing to a close, with the Corona pandemic showing no signs of abating. On the other hand, new mutations of the virus have surfaced creating a fresh wave of a scare.
While the emergence of the virus was correctly foretold by American author Sylvia Browne, who claimed to possess psychic powers, her rider that it would "suddenly vanish as quickly as it arrived" has proved totally false. Now it is anybody's guess when this deadly scourge will disapper from the earth. It should be sooner than later with various vaccines hitting the scene. I remain optimistic.
THE COMIC SIDE OF THE CORONA
(By Subbaram Danda)
If there is one thing that has mercilessly rocked the world causing unprecedented misery all around, it is Covid 19. At the same time, it has also set humour writers on a hyperactive mode, resulting in creation of jokes on a hitherto unknown scale. Here are some unusual ones that will certainly tickle your ribs.
At the beginning of 2020, an astrologer predicted: "Right through the year positivity will engulf the entire world. Every nook and corner will witness its impact."
At the end of the year a critic commented: " Very true. Corona positive cases exploded on an unprecedented scale every day everywhere."
In view of the prolonged lockdown that confined people indoors, television channels have been airing old hits, particularly epics like Mahabharat, to keep them engaged. Incidents from these TV shows were invariably recalled when people made phone calls to their near and dear ones.
One morning Surya phoned his friend Krishna, whom he had not called for several days. "Hi Krish, how are you? How is everybody at home?"
"Hi Surya, what shall I say? It is Mahabharat every day here. Clashes followed by clashes. How is life at your end?"
"It is great, Krish. I have been scrupulosly following what Gita says. I should admit without any hesitation that my life has been really blissful."
"That is fantastic. I never knew you are such an ardent follower of our religious texts. Hats off to you."
"Oh! Nothing like that," the friend continued. "Hope you remember Gita is my wife's name."
He was standing in a queue to enter a supermarket to purchase groceries. Suddenly a bulky woman in the front let out a loud fart.
He got upset. Before he could say anything, she turned back and said, "If you have heard it, then you have not maintained the requisite distance from me in these Corona times. And if the smell has hit your nostrils, you have not worn your face mask correctly. You are at fault, not me. Don't stare at me."
He became speechless.
It was a big fat Indan wedding, despite the Corona. It was celebrated imaginatively without flouting any norm. Invitations were sent out through courier to all near and dear ones. It read, "Kausalya and Mahesh invite you to the webcast of the Wedding Muhurtham of their daughter Swathi with Karthik on Saturday, December 12, 2020 between 09:00 and 10:30 a.m. Kindly watch the wedding ceremony at www.weddingcast.com/swathi-karthik."
A close reading confirmed that it was not an invitation to be present at the ceremony but only to watch it online. Thoughtfully, the actual place of the wedding was not mentioned in the invitation.
What was attractive was the last sentence in the invitation. "We request you to honour us by accepting the 'kalyana saappadu' (wedding feast), which will be delivered to your home on the Muhurtham day around 11:00 a.m."
To say the least, the feast was fabulous. There were as many as 20 savoury items and half a dozen sweets neatly packed in casseroles and shoved into orange baskets. Banana leaves were not forgotten. There was a gift as well.
The humorous depictions have scaled new heights of imagination. There are many. They have flooded the social media. Sample the following that amusingly look at the concepts of 'Work from Home, Masking and Social Distancing.'
Let us pray for disappearance of the scourge from this planet at the earliest. Sure, that will also give rise to humorous outbreaks !
December 28, 2020.
