The coast is clear

I am happy to report that things have settled down in the city. The past week was very trying. You always had to ask “How is it outside?” before venturing out. You had to know which areas were clear and which were not. Sudden noises made you jumpy. Troops were deployed at strategic locations. What was worse was the talk of war. There was a very real possibility that India and Pakistan’s armed forces would have engaged each other. Strong words were being used by both sides. Eventually rationality prevailed. Now the talk is more subdued, taking on the feel of a cold war.

Which means everything is normal. People are going about their business as if nothing happened! Resiliency knows no bounds! The fact of the matter is that violence in this city is chronic. This is how it has always been. Not everyone has the option of leaving and will be damned if they give up their homes. So they make the best of a bad situation and keep moving on.

This drive to keep working, to keep living pays off. My company won an award for its flagship product. It was considered “the Best in Tools and Infrastructure Applications”. I get to work on its smaller cousin. Very challenging work, makes my brain hurt just thinking about it. But it is helping me to grow as a professional and as an individual. Plus we celebrated with biryani for everyone!