Days of leisure; binge-watching our favourite Netflix shows, leading the lifestyle of nocturnal beings and carelessly day dreaming in class about what to wear to our next ‘high society’ gathering, all seemed to be a distant dream as we prepared to trudge the long road to Board Exams. Or at least, that’s what we though was going to be God’s ultimate test for us students. We were bracing ourselves to dig our social graves and suffer from the epidemic that is, FOMO. Little did we know, that we were the unofficial harbingers of a movement that would soon possess the world; social distancing and isolation.

Just when we thought that the ritual catchphrases of ‘get off the iPad! ’ and  ‘children it is time to get serious!’ were enough, Destiny was sitting over our shoulders, waiting to prance at the right moment to remind us that life is but, an obstacle race. The moment we realise that we have successfully crossed one barrier, another hurdle stands in our way, twice as mightier as the former. The Corona virus is a wake- up call for humanity to reform their ways.

With parents initially worrying about their ‘babies’ regularly studying, students crossing out days on the calendar for D-day and teachers losing sleep over devising new methods to make the backbenchers pass - there was now a new ocean of agony about to drown them all. The sources of stress and anxiety were now dictated by a deadly virus that invaded the world “The Corona virus”. Tensions moved away from their associations with the urgency to finish syllabus to the life determining urgency to grab a sanitiser. Mothers no longer worried about us studying every day but washing our hands till they fell off. Our blisters from toilsome hours of writing now screamed for mercy from alcohol sanitisers.

The most stirring outcomes of all was the new digital revolution that emerged out of COVID-19 and Boards, which had officially become Leopold and Loeb. Phones that were earlier flooded with mothers posting sample papers and motivational quotes were now swarmed with a plethora of corona-related content. The Good Morning forwards were now illustrated with huge diagrams of ‘corona-flowers’ to make up for the lack of roses and lilies. Teachers not only regularly checked in with mothers to make sure that students were burning the midnight oil, but also to ensure that we were devoting enough time to personal hygiene. We, on the other hand, were convinced that Doomsday was within sight.

Frankly speaking, Corona virus and associated anxiety had become a more enduring part of our journey to Boards. Though we had been fortunate enough not to witness any of the World Wars, taking an exam was nothing less than entering a battlefield. We left our homes armed with strongest weapons of destruction: sanitisers and masks. Upon reaching the our board centre we were told to follow a series of safety measures, starting with the washing of hands, being checked for impermissible materials and then another round of alcohol sanitisers to give our blisters the final ‘energy shock’ before we entered our examination rooms.Our seating arrangement was organised into regiments with only twelve students each to prevent over-crowding. The CBSE’s proactive approach to this issue was praiseworthy and admirable. Their effort deserves immense credit.

The day we finished our Board Exams, the government announced that they were postponing the rest of the papers in view of the current threat of Corona virus. I’m certain that this news caused tremors to the already overstretched parents and children who were hoping to get done with this ordeal.

As we sit at home in a scenario which no-one could ever fathom, we millennials, for the first time, look beyond Instagram memes to read posts about those in suffering, seek to talk to those who are in need of support rather than gossip, and thank God to be able to sit with all our families under the same roof. The Corona virus, that has perished lives and brought grief to many, is in fact, a caution to humanity. It reminds us to cherish what we have. It gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect, spend time bonding with family and realise that love, good health and kindness is the greatest gift.