Let’s LOCKDOWN Your Stories:Story#15 from the Unsung Guards of Home Societies.
Pic Courtesy: Just a Random House Society

Let’s LOCKDOWN Your Stories:Story#15 from the Unsung Guards of Home Societies.

Despite all this, we remain the villains of everyone’s life. I hear people bitch about us! Vidushi May 13, 2020·4 min read

As a part of my “…from talks to tales” series, to preserve your experiences in CORONial times, here’s the 15th story by an introvert gentleman, who works tirelessly throughout the day to keep his Society well maintained. Every time, I took my escalator to go down, and I noticed the plastic covers on the pushbuttons, I felt relieved! Every moment when I smelled a Dettol like disinfectant outside my lobby area, I felt secure. And every single day when I receive updates on my phone that said, “Vegetable and Fruit vendor will be available from 7:00 am to 3:00pm”, I felt being covered. Who are the people behind all this? Who are these folks who are managing not just their family, their stress but ensuring we stay stress-free, we sleep full on tummy, and we do not have to step out for even the basics. They have different designations/names such as Society Presidents”, “Society Managers”, “Building Care-takers” etc. When I first understood this man’s story, I felt like, all this while, we kept these guys out of the “Unsung HERO category”! Like How? These are the people, who once signed-up to form a Committee either Voluntarily or some may be getting paid too. Little did they know that these testing times would expect them to be superhumans!

This is the story of a Committee Member who chose to stay anonymous.

It’s been a few days now that I am waking up at 5:00 am and sleeping around 1:00 am in the night. No, I am not watching Netflix at those wee hours. It’s a lot of work! We need the minutest level of monitoring, policing ensuring we all stay safe. Let me share what a day in my life looks like, and this is especially for those who find it hard to forbid their kids from playing out or are complaining of being bored trapped inside the house.

The milk vendor comes at 5:30 am. We understand it is the necessity, he is delivering to 42 houses in society. While it may sound like, “so what’s the big deal here?”. But, it’s not that simple, it’s not like other days anymore. We need to follow all protocols — temperature checks, sanitization, check if their masks are on.

Then follows the cleaning staff, who start their “not-so-usual” sanitization exercise for the entire society. This includes all play areas, gyms, pools, building elevators, staircases, all lobbies of all floors, guardrooms, and any other place in the society. Thorough supervision keeps me on my toes as I have to ensure that every bit is done carefully and with utmost hygiene. As I said, it’s not like other days anymore. And this activity is repeated 3–4 times a day, without fail.

Before all this is even done, it’s time to rush back to the main gate for allowing the sanitation workers’ into the society to pick garbage from all houses. The entry and exit follow the same protocol — masks, sanitization, temperature. And this protocol has to be followed throughout the day for each person. It’s almost like preparing them for the battleground.

Thrice a week we get different vendors to the society for vegetables, fruits, other essentials. It’s a mammoth task:

a) coordinating with these vendors,

b) informing all residents about the vendors’ availability (though apps have made it a bit simpler),

c) providing different slots at which people can come and buy,

d) and then ensuring social distancing is maintained while purchasing.

While all of the above go on throughout the day, the regular duties are still pending. Checking inventory (even more important during these days), co-ordinating the meals for maintenance and support staff, grievance redressal (yes, we do resolve for your rantings about neighbors watching TV high pitch all night).

While many societies pay to their Society Managers for this job, others sign-up as a “committee” and are doing some of these tasks selflessly. Despite all this, we remain the villains of everyone’s life. I hear people bitch about us -

“they have started thinking themselves as the police”, “what’s wrong if a few of us sit for a game of cards downstairs?” “Arrey they are just kids, they won’t catch corona, let them play.”

And the saddest feeling is to eavesdrop on a conversation that said,

“Aajkal society maintainence waalo ko kyaa hi kaam hoga? Naa to koi bahar jaa raha, naa andar aaraha”

And in that moment, I only wish if I too could wear a cape!! :)

Share your story with me at vidushiwrites24@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER
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['Virus', 'Covid 19', 'Coronavirus', 'Lockdown']