I stared at the rain gushing down through the windows of my room as I sat on the edge of the bed. The white curtains were swaying along with the cold wind coming from the open-air. I closed my eyes and slowly put my hands outside the window reaching the tiny drops of the fall. It suddenly felt nostalgic. As the raindrop touches my bare hands, the image of a little girl, running through the green meadows befall my mind. I suddenly felt a stinging sensation in my head and my breathing gradually ragged. I opened my eyes and my vision became blurry. A dark terrifying image that I can't seem to fathom appeared on my sight drawing nearer. I wanted to run but my feet were glued, unable to move from where I was sitting. As the image came closer, it became clearer and vivid. Doppelganger. It's my doppelganger. We look exactly the same. She was holding a knife and whispering words that are inaudible to my ears. My doppelganger came nearer and as she stood in front of me with her blank, horrid eyes that contrasts the devilish smile plastered on her face, I finally understood the words she was trying to say. Words that will forever be engraved in the chambers of my soul. She held my face and whispered those words into my ears and before I could even speak, she abruptly stabbed my chest with the knife she was holding. And carved on that knife were the words she whispered to me. “Will you love me now?” Since the quarantine were imposed in our country, my life was sort of paused. It was both overwhelming and terrifying. Four months had pass since it started and it has been the most challenging months I had in my sixteen years of existence. It is during this time that I came to realize the most essential thing I needed in this lifetime. And that is self-love. I grew up in a place where how you look is important. The color of your body, the texture of your skin, the features of you face and the way how you look is being judged. People will always have a say on what you wear and whom you associate yourself with. And sometimes, often times rather, it sucks. It sucks to pretend that you are something you're not. It sucks to follow the same path that many people took for they are afraid to journey a new one. It sucks to do things without meaning. You know that kind of feeling when you do something without having the joy or fulfillment. It's like as if you're only doing it to survive and thrive. That pretty much sucks, right? However, during the quarantine period, my perspective and mindset about the mundane things that ‘sucks' was totally changed. It is this time that my eyes were opened to the reality of life. I learned how to appreciate the smallest thing in front of me and I learned how to give utter importance to each and every living thing on Earth. And most importantly, I was able to teach myself the most beautiful art I have ever seen and felt which is self-love. Before the pandemic started, I have always been criticizing myself for the way I look. I doesn't feel good because I thought to myself “I doesn't look good”. I didn't allot a room where I could grow and evolve into something beautiful. I let the social norms and standards measure the capabilities I have within me. In short, I let myself crumble upon what the society tells. However, I am so grateful that the quarantine happened because I was able to realize my potentials and appreciate the beauty I have. I learned that beauty isn't something that you see on the outside image of a person. It is about the principles and purity of the heart that really counts as beautiful. Self-love isn't an easy journey. It has its own curls and curves and you have to go through all of them to really attain it. Eating healthy, stretch/exercise, watching movies, spending time with the family, pampering yourself with different products, praying and many other more. Sometimes, I feel lazy and procrastinate but whenever I encounter this kind of phase, I always remind myself why I started it. To be better, to feel better, to do better and to harness the best version of myself. And I can say that I am halfway through perfecting the art of self-love. Someday I wanted to dream the dream I written in the first paragraphs of this essay. I would want to see my doppelganger again. If one day she'll visit me in my dreams and ask the same words she asked me before, I'll answer her within the same scenario without getting frightened, without wanting to run. I'll answer her with all positivity and love and I would tell her “Yes, I will love you now, tomorrow and until forever comes to end. I will love your imperfections, past and the whole you no matter what happens.” And once I told her those words, I want her to stab me again with a knife. But this time, I want that the word carved in the knife is “finally”. Because finally, I have found myself full of love wherein pain can never turn my heart ruthless and cold.

Many people are qurantined in their own houses or other places because of this pandemic Corona Virus. Now everyone are frightened because of this pandemic. Doctors of this pandemic are coming home to home for taking swab test. Because of this rule people are very much afraid that if in this swab test if we are corona positive then! That's why we are also frightened. Every country is taking the decision of lockdown because of this pandemic. But in this lockdown we can't go out for bringing anything. For example - grocery, books, clothes, fruits, etc. And that also the lockdown is of 14 days or 30 days. So, there are many problems to bring such things. In this lockdown if these things are not there then what about schools? We can't study, we can't go out and we can't do anything. And that's the reason we are directly promoted to next class. And in this promotion we did not get our own rank or marks for which we hardwork during this year. If they started online classes also then also either there is problem of slow connection or the voice of the teacher not coming or the students are unable to recognize. Because of this pandemic many many people are unemployed. There's no money to income. Even rich people are unemployed. Think what will be the situation of the fruit sellers or those who works in small shops! Then what will be the situation of the poor people. Oh no! No house, no food! It will be very dangerous situation. Just think! And in this lockdown no people roaming so no beggars can go out to take some money or food. In fact if rich men are not having money then what will they give to beggars. Very frightening, dangerous situation it will be. Now comes the children they are very much bored even me can't go outside for playing just staying in home. Even can't go out of home. If we do not play out then our weight, height and physical fitness also will not increase. Any fat from here, anyone thin from here like this situation will be it will be very bad situation. During this pandemic, during this lockdown if something gets finished like - milk or fruits are not there then neighbors helps us. They give everything what we wanted. We also helped them too. If from our family someone is sick then our neighbors helped to take him/her to the hospital. Taking care. In this lockdown we knew that which neighbors are good, kind and which one's are unkind. My daily routine in this lockdown is to wake up at 10:00 am. Do breakfast at 11 am. Then getting bored so watching television from 12:00 am to 3:00 pm. Till when I shall watch TV so again getting bored. So finally now lunch at 3:30 pm. Then something drawing till 4:30 pm. Then again sleeping from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Then dinner at 8:00 pm. Then watching TV again at 9:00 pm. TV switched off at 10:30 pm all family members slept now. Till when I should see television and sleep till when! So I am getting bored. Then just seeing my own home and seeing my surrounding and thinking see now we can't go out also. After thinking I slept at 11:30 pm. In this lockdown I thought I should do something new, something interesting so i thought bro make some my own made dishes means pantry inventories. So during this pandemic I made many new dishes like pancakes, cakes, noodles and much more. So in this way I done some time pass also at least one hour passed in making these dishes. So from today every day lunch I only make because in place of getting bored I should make lunch only. So my experience of quarantine life was nearly good but some bad also.

Today I'm going to share my experiences. You all know the husband-wife fighting's in every house, you may also have done this before, so better you don't do this, my mother and father both were fighting at least once in three days, before this problem of Corona Virus came, I never interrupted in between their fights, because I knew that, if I fall in between them, then my cheeks will be definitely red. So, here the advantage is that, because of this quarantine life, my father and mother both were at home, twenty four hours both were together, in this event their fighting capacity slowly slowed down, By seeing this I was stunned, now their fighting's were held once in a week, this was a splendid thing for me. Living together brings happiness in life: During this quarantine life, all my family members were at home, no one was going outside, so my entire family was together, we all were very happy, living together has an another happiness. My father, mother, my small brother and I, all played many games during this period. My father was working from home, he daily worked in the afternoon, after he completes his work, we all play carom together in the evening. In carom, we make teams and play and the daily routine team was, my mother and I and my father and my small brother and this was our fixed team and every time I and my mother were the losers of the game, but I say that, “FAILURE IS THE SECOND STEP OF LEARNING”. The things and the time were going very smoothly. Affection between family members: Caring between family members is common in every house, but here in my house caring was present, but because of quarantine life, our caring between family members was increased a lot. If anyone in my family gets cough or cold, then my entire family would take a special care of the person, but in times of corona virus, better we don't get any cough or cold, otherwise we have to face a big problem, so therefore take care of yourself. These were some of the advantages of quarantine life for me and my family. Now, there are some disadvantages of quarantine life. Now I am going to share you my problems, which I and my family members faced because of quarantine life. Please stay tuned. Problems which I and my family members faced: As I told you earlier also that, my father was working from home, he was working in a company. Now here we faced a problem, my father's boss made a phone call to my father and he said that, your job is in danger." My father kept the phone. He just explained us, what his boss told in their conversations. We all were very upset, then my father again made a phone call to his boss and asked him, he kept the phone in speaker, "Why is my job in danger," then the boss told "because we need less people in our company and you should now find a new job, I am sorry."My father started seeking a new job. He searched everywhere on social platform, but he failed in seeking the job, he tried for 9 days, but he did not found any job, he was experiencing depression, we just tried to give courage to him, but it did not worked. Suddenly, his boss's phone arrived, he answered to the call and his boss said "Congratulations! You are again in our company, the workers, which I had kept for working, are not able to work online, they are uncomfortable, therefore I thought you work well, that is why you are in the company again. Once again congrats, Okay bye, good luck." My Father said "Thank you sir, bye!" After hearing this great news, we were extremely very happy. After this, I thought, those who's jobs are taken away, how would they manage their life? I just asked this question to my father, he was not at all answerable, by this event I learned, that you should always help poor people. By this medium of contest, I will also give a message of giving a helping hand to poor people. My neighbors: My neighbors are very kind, every night my family and my neighbor's family play together like cards and carom and all. They trust us, we trust them, once my father and mother made a fight at 12 am, at night, the reason was what I still don't know, now I already told you, I don't interrupt them in between, this time also I didn't interrupt them, but my neighbors heard their fighting sound and they came on our doorstep and knocked, my mother opened the door, they asked what happened, I was making a drama of sleeping and hearing all what had happened, so my parents told what is the subject of fighting, my neighbors just solved the problem and everything was normal, you know, I think that, God has sent them for us only. My small brother is champion in carom, because of them, they taught him, how to play the exact carom, and he was also interested in playing and learning carom. Earlier, my brother was not at all knowing, how to play carom, but now he is a champion, I am also failed in front of him while playing carom. We all together enjoyed a lot during quarantine Life. I can't wash out these days from my brain.Thank you.