Few days of bliss and peace without a phone and internet!

I was on a vacation after like, months of waiting. The vacation was meant to be peaceful and devoid of unwanted calls and work. I couldn’t manage that. No. I was carrying work to be finished and to be submitted on the scheduled deadline. The mother and the family was annoyed. Why wouldn’t they? Even I was. How could I just not say No to them? But I had reasons. The most valid one being responsibility of getting the work done.

But the phone just didn’t stop ringing. And when I didn’t want to reply, they would simply drop in a message at every hour or minute. Even when I was out meeting my relatives and friends, the phone would simply make a sound that said, hey another notification! Read the message and get back to work. All I wanted to do was relax and sleep, read books, laugh my lungs out when I meet my cousins and friends. But no. It wasn’t simply happening. Ma got worried as the dark circles on this face started becoming the highlight and I looked eternally sick and tired. Even if I wanted, I didn’t have the courage to switch off the phone, it wasn’t an option even!

But I guess God had different plans to bail me out of this situation. Something amazing happened. We had planned a short trip to Maldah, West Bengal on the occasion of a puja that is held annually held. While packing the bags, I was warned that we would attend a puja and not office or work calls, or sit there with a laptop and dongle to complete work. Then, it struck me that overstressing myself wouldn’t do any good to me. I gave a call to the concerned people informing them about the status of the work and that I needed to travel with family. I cannot work for the coming 3-4 days and if they wish, I can take up work after I am back. Thankfully, they agreed and let me go.

And I was on my way to Maldah without a laptop, internet, and the smartphone. I switched it off and kept it in the cupboard. I told Ma that I would be using her phone in case I needed to make calls but that would be a very rare case. It did feel weird to carry just a bag full of clothes and a book after a long time but the next 3-4 days just did wonders for me. I was there in a peaceful environment attending the rituals, being part of the meditation sessions, sit and talk to people whom I hadn’t met for years and simply relax. I enjoyed my sound sleep without nightmares and panic attacks about work, not having to wake up by the phone alarm but the ringing of the temple bells. I even went out for walks with my uncle during the morning hours before the puja rituals started.

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel incomplete without the smartphone and the internet. The only thing I knew was that I should be enjoying my moments of bliss and peace now, sitting aloof from the part of the world with whom I interact throughout. I can do without them for a few days and let my mind breathe in some fresh air.