Ten days of isolation...

It was a long ten days for me. Well, not exactly ten - since the protocol required ten full days of isolation, it actually meant eleven nights.

The days felt slow and difficult to pass. Apart from basic daily chores, my daily routine included light exercise, spending time in the balcony looking outside, clicking few photos of the surroundings, endlessly scrolling through my phone, and watching whatever series or movies I could access. I used to play BGMI, but that didn't work there, and even most of the streaming apps had connectivity issues because of the location. The hotel staff provided three meals everyday - breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu kept changing, but it generally included a mix of fruits, vegetables, breads, rice or roti , chicken or fish, and desserts.

Finally, on the twelfth day, I was allowed to step out. After breakfast, the first step was to get a RAT done at hotel. As Ashley, the manager, conducted the test, I waited anxiously for the result. He tried to lighten the mood by making conversation on various topics. Though I engaged, my anxiety didn’t really ease. A wave of relief finally hit me when the result came back negative.

With that, I was ready to get the RT-PCR test done again for my journey back to India.Read more